Central Coastal NC Whirlwind Tour: Part 2 (Community Supported Fisheries)

In their Down East visit, RCP staff had the opportunity to meet with Gerry Barret, a founding member of Core Sound Seafood, who taught them a thing or two about community supported fisheries (CSFs) and the important role they play in enacting the triple bottom line.

Along with other dedicated members of Core Sound, Gerry works to open up markets for local seafood from the fishing communities of Cateret County through the promotion of CSFs and the sale of seafood “shares”.

“What CSFs allow us to do is pay fisherman a higher price than they normally get at the fish house and get it to consumers [who buy shares further inland] at a lesser price than retail,” explains Gerry.

This fishing approach allows for consumers and seafood vendors to gain a variety of fresh seafood with a lower ecological footprint than the imported kind found in most grocery stores. At the same time, CSFs provide fisherman with a greater selling market and ensures the future longevity of their communities and the fishing work they love.

Aside from the good CSFs do for the environment and NC’s coastal communities, Core Sound Seafood members will also tell you that locally caught and freshly delivered seafood [like theirs] just tastes better.

“Our policy at Core Sound Seafood is that we won’t sell any seafood to anyone that has been more than 40 hours out of the water,” Gerry promises. “When you actually taste the difference between imported and local, freshly caught seafood, there really is no comparison.”

To learn more about North Carolina’s central coastal communities, CSFs, or to find out more Core Sound Seafood, please check out the links below:

Visit Core Sound Seafood on their website or on Facebook.

Interested in your very own Down East tour?

RCP likes to hear from you! Those who know of exciting entrepreneurial projects or opportunities that incorporate the triple bottom line in NC’s central coastal region are encouraged to comment below.