Maybe Dogfish Doesn’t Need a New Name?
- Brett Tolley
- 6 hours ago
- 2 min read
Earlier this week, I spoke with the Pleasant Bay Boating Community, and someone asked something I've heard countless times. Have you ever thought about changing the name dogfish? Fair question.
After so many farmers markets and similar conversations, I usually respond with a quick joke about how people don't mind the name "hotdogs", or that catfish never seemed to suffer. But the jokes rarely change minds.
Hearing the question come up always reminds me of my grandfather. He fished out of Chatham for 50 years and loved stories about how lobster and bluefin tuna went from unwanted to prized. I'd tell him maybe one day people would say the same thing about dogfish. He'd just laugh. Not going to happen he'd say.
People have tried and even succeeded at changing the name of dogfish. About a decade ago, the name Cape Shark was federally approved in the US. Some liked it, some didn't. Personally, I'd rather call a fish what it is and earn trust through honesty. We've already asked consumers to trust a system that too often mislabels and hides origins. I'd rather build confidence through clarity and care.
As I replayed this week's question in my head, though, another thought surfaced. What if we've been focusing on the wrong thing?
When we tell the transformational stories of lobster, tuna, calamari, or Chilean sea bass, we point to marketing and chefs. Those two factors mattered, sure. But what if the real shift was that people finally experienced those foods at a level of quality they hadn't before? Better ice, better cold chain, better handling. Maybe they weren't simply persuaded. Maybe they were tasting a fundamentally better product.
Now think about dogfish. Nearly all of it is exported. Prices barely cover the cost of ice. Quality isn't rewarded. So dogfish has rarely been given a fair chance.
What we're creating at Chatham Harvesters is different. We pay in a way that rewards careful handling. We bleed and chill immediately, process within hours, vacuum seal, and flash freeze. Will focusing on quality change the way people think? I don't know. Maybe dogfish doesn't need a new name. Maybe it just deserves the right experience.
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