History of CAFC

Brought to you by the Gloucester Fishermen's Wives Association (GFWA), MIT SeaGrant and the Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance, Cape Ann Fresh Catch (CAFC), Community Supported Fishery program, or CSF, is a collaboration of shore side residents and the local fishing community. CSF members give the fishing community financial support in advance of the season, and in turn the fishermen provide a weekly share of seafood during the harvesting season to shareholders. A CSF reconnects people to the ocean that sustains them and builds a rewarding relationship between fishermen and shareholders.

Cape Ann Fresh Catch delivers fresh, locally caught, in-season seafood. In traditional markets fishermen are forced to chase whatever species is fetching the highest price that week. By taking whatever they happen to be catching at the same price week-to-week, fishermen are able to fish area that are not stressed by the rest of the fleet, and give species and ecosystems time to recover and replenish.

This cooperative system also keeps fishermen safer because they don't have to fight the weather to go offshore for a certain species; if the weather is dangerous, they can stay close to shore and catch only what the CSF needs that week. At the same time, shareholders are guaranteed the freshest, highest quality fish caught. The fish caught for the CSF will never be old or frozen, and it will always come from fishermen who believe in working with the ocean and the community.