Small fishing businesses are at the heart of Chatham, Massachusetts’ economy.

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For the past decade, Atlantic spiny dogfish have been the largest quantity of fish landed in Chatham, yet there is nearly no regional market. This results in a low price to fishermen, an export rate of nearly the entire catch, loss of potential jobs, and loss of public access to healthy and abundant food.

 

Through support from the USDA Value Added Producer Grant, CHC is working with Red’s Best, a local regional seafood buyer/distributor, to market a value-added dogfish product  - dogfish nuggets and filets - through a unique contract that ensures a fair price for fishermen. This program delivers quality locally sourced seafood to regional institutions such as universities, and K-12 sustainable food sourcing programs, while providing economic stability to fishermen.  This collaboration is the first of its kind and CHC is honored to be a recipient of the USDA VAPG grant.

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