Live lobsters . . . why not live fish? Continuing a centuries-old tradition, hook fishermen's niche

Live codfish Muriel Hendrix

When cod stocks began to recover off the coast of Cape Cod about two years ago, members of Cape Cod Commercial Hook Fishermen's Association (CCCHFA) watched in dismay as supply outran demand and market price for cod plummeted. "The infrastructure we used to have to process fish hasn't been rebuilding at the same rate as fish stocks," explained Paul Parker, Executive Director of CCCHFA. "In one week, we saw the price drop from $2 a pound to 80 cents a pound." At the same time, he added, bait and fuel prices were rising, creating an economic disaster for members of CCCHFA.

"We had to work on an innovative way to find a niche market so we could afford to continue fishing in a sustainable manner," Parker says. The group, which has continued a 300-year-old tradition of longline fishing despite competition from large, high-tech commercial operations, discovered there was a growing demand for live fish, particularly among Asian populations in Boston, New York and Toronto. Live codfish, they learned, could bring as much as 300 percent more than gutted cod. "We can sell a live cod for between $10 and $13 as opposed to $2.40 to $3.20 for a gutted fish," says John Pappalardo, a CCCHFA fisherman.

Taking advantage of this niche market is the mission of Cape Live Seafood (CLS), located in West Harwich, a cooperative venture of CCCHFA and The Resource, Inc., a nonprofit organization founded to enhance the economic and social well-being of local residents; and the town of Eastham, which is a conduit for Community Development Block Grant funding.

Dedicated to promoting sustainable fisheries and providing the best price for local fishermen by ensuring their product is top quality, the organization set to work obtaining funding to design and build the technical support necessary to handle live fish.

The CLS facility, opened last November, is located about 10 minutes from piers used by CCCHFA fishermen in Harwich and Chatham. It contains five holding tanks that can accommodate approximately 2,000 pounds of fish each. To date, three fishermen's boats are fitted with special four-by-four-by-four-foot tanks that are filled with sea water, which is aerated and chilled to hold live fish caught on long lines each day. The tank can hold approximately 150 to 200 pounds of fish. Because the process is still in the experimental stage, each of the three boats has tank systems set up in a different manner: engine driven, generator driven and ice plus an aerator. The fishermen want to determine if there is any difference in the rate of mortality with the varied systems.

When the fisherman comes in, he transfers his live catch to truck tanks and it is taken to the West Harwich facility. There, they are placed in holding tanks connected to a filtered and aerated recirculating system of sea water that is monitored 24 hours a day. Fresh sea water is brought to the tanks every few weeks. The fish remain in the tanks for 24 hours, purging any rocks or sand. This, said Pappalardo, who is Director of Fishery Policy at CLS, creates a better quality fish. "Also," he added, "if there are going to be any mortalities, they occur then. Buyers like that we absorb the mortalities, which are very low."

Cape Live Seafood obtained grants to purchase the first three on-board tanks. Each of the three boat owners using them will buy his tank by paying into a fund. As soon as one system is paid for, another tank can be purchased for the next fisherman on the waiting list, and he will begin paying it off. Eventually, CLS expects to have 10 to 15 fishermen, all members of CCCHFA, equipped with the holding tanks on board their vessels.

The project is just beginning to build alliances with conservation organizations, who support the sustainable nature of longline fishing which, unlike draggers, can target a particular size and species of fish and does not disturb the ocean bottom. CCCHFA has over 800 members, many of them coastal residents who appreciate and support its concern for the environment.

CLS is also working to expand its markets. Pappalardo says several companies on the East Coast have expressed interest and other irons are in the fire. "Perhaps one day," he says, "diners will choose their live fish from a tank just as they sometimes choose lobster now."

CLS president Morgan Eldredge, who previously ran the Community Fisheries Action Center for CCCFHA, said fishermen are enthusiastic about the project. "They want to be recognized a providing better quality of fish," she said. Most important, CLS is providing the high-priced niche market which will allow CCCHFA members to continue their small family- based traditional fishery.