Last week the first national summit on Community Supported Fisheries (CSF) event that brought together 60 people from around the United States and Canada who are involved with a CSF in their community. Current members of the Community Fisheries Network (CFN) to attended the conference included the Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association, the Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association, and Port Clyde Fresh Catch. It started with a great meal of fish caught by people who were attending the conference and continued with two more days of great conversation about CSFs and generally how to support the direct marketing of seafood, coastal communities, and small-scale fishermen. More about the conference can be found in this article – http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20120602-NEWS-206020325?cid=sitesearch.
After the Conference, we brought 14 fishermen and CSF coordinators from North Carolina, California, Oregon, Mississippi, and Nova Scotia on a tour of Maine’s working waterfront communities to highlight how marketing is just one part of ensuring sustainable coastal communities. We had a really good conversation with the Friends of the York River about how the community has come together around the working waterfronts, supporting local fishermen, and ensuring the long-term health of the river. More about the York River visit can be found in this article here – http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20120602-NEWS-206020326?cid=sitesearch.