The Care Behind the Catch
- Brett Tolley
- 24 hours ago
- 2 min read
Updated: 6 hours ago
One of the conversations we've had recently, since offering live lobster, has surprised us in the best way. Some members have shared that they feel uneasy about the idea of killing a lobster. We genuinely appreciate those conversations because they come from a place of compassion. We don't think that's something to dismiss. In fact, we think it's something to honor.
As fishing families, we make our living by harvesting wild seafood. But that doesn't mean we've become indifferent to the lives of the animals we catch. Quite the opposite. Every fish, every lobster, was once a living creature, and we believe it deserves to be treated with respect. It's why we handle our catch carefully, avoid waste, and do our best to dispatch it as quickly and humanely as we know how. Here is one video from a well known chef that demonstrates some common methods.
There's an old belief shared by many who work on the water: if you're going to take a life to feed another life, you should never take that responsibility lightly. For my grandfather and father, who commercially fished for a combined 100+ years, they demonstrated responsibility by handling each fish with the utmost care. In addition, they also took responsibility by spending countless hours advocating for healthy oceans, protecting juvenile fish, preserving essential habitat, and working at both the state and federal level to improve the future of our fisheries. That lesson has stayed with me and is certainly woven deeply into the fabric of our cooperative today. The care we have for the ocean, and for the animals that live in it, has always been at the heart of what we do.
For us, gratitude and respect are part of the meal. We hope that knowing the people behind your seafood, and the care we put into every step, helps you understand not just how your food was harvested, but the values that guide us every day. Thank you for trusting your local fishing families.
Lastly, below is a video that one of our Fish Share Members shared. It provides insight into what amazing animals lobsters really are. And while one of the takeaways is "don't eat lobster", which is not necessarily our message, there is still so much to learn and appreciate should we choose to incorporate animals into our healthy diets.
Thanks for reading and would love to hear any thoughts from you all on this topic.
take care,
Brett
Comments