January 27, 2010 by Sara Zoe.

In the Concord Monitor today:

It’s that time of the year when our chickens start producing eggs with orange yolks. That’s because our chickens love the tiny bright coral-colored shells of Pandalus borealis - a.k.a. northern pink or Maine shrimp - as much as we love the tender, sweet flesh inside them. The best things about these tiny crustaceans (besides their great flavor), is that they’re just about the only shrimp you can buy that are harvested both sustainably and locally.

Though you might find the larger shrimp imported from Asia appealing, keep in mind that shrimp farming in places like Vietnam has wiped out huge swaths of traditional rice paddies, as well as fragile wild ecosystems like mangrove swamps. Too, these shrimp have to travel thousands of miles and many days to reach U.S. markets and are likely to have been frozen.

Northern shrimp, on the other hand, are, for the most part, harvested with trawlers that have been redesigned in recent years so they don’t do as much harm to the fish stocks as the old-style trawlers did. And because they’re caught off the New England coast, the fresh shrimp can reach local markets quickly.

read the full article >

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January 13, 2010 by Sara Zoe.

Thanks to the FV Rimrack out of Rye Harbor! (And thanks to Eastman’s Fish for sharing the video!)

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January 11, 2010 by Sara Zoe.

If you’re looking for an easy, fun way to learn more about our northern/native/Maine/New Hampshire shrimp, here’s a fun evening offered by UNH SeaGrant and UNH Thompson School Culinary Arts Program!

6 - 8pm on February 10th, 2009
UNH Thompson School Culinary Arts Program
Cole Hall Room 219
Come to this event to learn how to cook, peel and store the Northern Shrimp delicacy! Chef’s from the Culinary Program will be demonstrating how to prepare these local gems in a variety of ways for you to taste. Leave the workshop with recipes and educational materials so you can enjoy shrimp at home. $10 per person.

To register visit:  www.tinyurl.com/localshrimp

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January 2, 2010 by Sara Zoe.

There’s another winter-time local seafood in addition to our famous shrimp -  smelt!

A note from Sanders Fish Market:

We just got in some beautiful Great Bay smelts today. I’ve talked to several local fisherman; from the sounds of it, there is a lot of action out on the ice right now and they are really hauling them in! Good news for smelt lovers, and a nice change of local winter seafood until the weather cooperates for the shrimp fishermen sometime next week…

Happy New Year,

Mike Sanders
Sanders Fish Market
www.facebook.com/sandersfish
367 Marcy Street
Portsmouth, NH
P: (603) 436-4568

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January 2, 2010 by Sara Zoe.

From the Newburyport Daily News:

Fisherman’s Co-op works to keep industry alive Yankee Co-op hopes to bolster local fishermen’s sales

By Angeljean Chiaramida
Staff writer

SEABROOK — Yankee Fisherman’s Co-op’s experimental move to sell fish directly to consumers at farmers markets has been such a success, the organization is taking to cyberspace, launching a Web site allowing residents and businesses on both sides of the border access to fish freshly caught from the Gulf of Maine.

In January, the 61 members of the only commercial fishermen’s cooperative left along this stretch of the Atlantic made the bold move of selling to consumers at enclosed New Hampshire farmers markets. The decision was an attempt to help the region’s beleaguered 400-year-old commercial fishing industry survive.

“The idea worked,” said co-op manager Robert Campbell, laughing. “How about that?”

The co-op’s endeavor corresponded with the Granite State’s Buy Local campaign, intended to help local farmers, bakers, food processors and dairy producers by encouraging the region’s consumers to buy locally grown and made food.

Some farmers markets, once considered only a summer activity, are now enclosed and open year-round, allowing the co-op to continue selling fresh Gulf of Maine shrimp to those who buy into their program.

“Exeter’s (indoor) farmers market feels having us there with the seafood draws more people to the market,” Campbell said.

Campbell is also working with Newburyport’s farmers market in hopes of taking part in that as well. Newburyport’s market just closed for the winter.

But for those looking for added convenience, and for those living across the border in Massachusetts, Yankee Fisherman’s Co-op has launched its Web site, www.yankeefish.com, through which consumers can buy into an eight-week shrimp share program. Restaurants can also use the site to access freshly caught fish like cod, haddock, flounder and lobsters wholesale directly from the co-op, with no middlemen in between.

Read the full article >

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December 20, 2009 by Sara Zoe.

Two great articles in Foster’s this morning on native shrimp:

Fishermen gearing up for a strong shrimp season
Foster’s Daily Democrat
Fishermen and people who love shrimp should benefit from a variety of factors that could produce one of the best shrimp seasons in recent memory.For the second year in a row, shrimp fishermen have a 180-day season that extends to the end of May. Northern shrimp in the Gulf of Maine are plentiful, fishermen are getting higher off-the-boat prices and there are more local markets where people can buy fresh shrimp.Padi Anderson of Dover said her husband, Michael, a commercial fishermen since 1981, is shrimping this season. She said they and other New Hampshire fishermen are working with the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension’s Sea Grant program to develop more local markets for their catch.

In the last year, commercial fishermen like Eddie Eastman and his wife, Carolyn, who own Eastman Fish Market in Seabrook have sold their seafood at local farmer’s markets. Carolyn Eastman was scheduled her fresh fish at the Wentworth Greenhouse Winter Market in Rollinsford on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Representatives with the Yankee Fishermen’s Cooperative in Seabrook were expected to be there selling fresh caught shrimp.

Read the full article

Shrimp at Candlelight Stroll promote local catch
Foster’s Daily Democrat
Local fishermen took a break from trolling fishing grounds Saturday night and instead took to the historic streets of Strawbery Banke in order to promote the Candlelight Stroll event as well as raise awareness about the local fishing industry.With over 1,000 pounds of native shrimp being donated to the cause from Seaport Fish Company, stakeholders involved in the local fishing movement stationed themselves along the dirt streets of the historic neighborhood and sold bowls of shrimp for $2.Rich Pettigrew, owner of Seaport Fish Company, kindly donated the seafood for the event and said all of the proceeds would go toward supporting Strawbery Banke Museum.

“We’re happy to be supporting Strawbery Banke,” said Pettigrew. “It’s also a way for us to educate the community about the historical significance of our industry.”

Read the full article

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December 13, 2009 by Sara Zoe.

One thing I am really learning this year - get them when you see them! With winter weather affecting when boats can fishing, my best bet is to buy them when I can and freeze them (they freeze beautifully) if I’m hoping to have them for a specific meal.

Dine on a winter delicacy: N.H. shrimp season is open

DURHAM, N.H. – Starting now and lasting all winter, Seacoast residents can enjoy an abundance of fresh northern shrimp, a sustainable local resource, and help support the N.H. commercial fishing industry.

Northern shrimp caught in the Gulf of Maine provide fishermen with an alternative to groundfish during the winter months when offshore fishing is more dangerous, explains Ken La Valley, commercial fishing specialist for N.H. Sea Grant and UNH Cooperative Extension. Northern shrimp move in close to shore during cold weather, allowing fishermen to stay in safer waters, conserve fuel and save their days-at-sea for groundfishing in better weather conditions. 
A growing interest in fresh, local seafood has brought about community-supported fishery (CSF) initiatives to the Seacoast and the new N.H. Fresh and Local seafood brand, said Ken La Valley, commercial fishing specialist for N.H. Sea Grant and UNH Cooperative Extension. Modeled after community supported agriculture, a CSF is a shore-side community of people collaborating with local fishermen to buy fish or seafood directly for a predetermined length of time. CSF shareholders give the fishermen financial support and then receive a weekly share of seafood caught during the season.
“The opening of the northern shrimp season means more economic opportunities for the struggling N.H. fishermen and a chance for seafood enthusiasts to enjoy shrimp,” La Valley said.
Currently, there are many ways to purchase the northern shrimp and support the local fishing industry. Individuals can join an eight-week shrimp CSF through the Yankee Fisherman’s Cooperative. Shareholders will receive five or 10 pounds of fresh shrimp per week (1/3-2/27) and may choose from several pick-up locations. For more information, please visit www.yankeefish.com.

Consumers, retailers and wholesalers may also buy directly from a NH fishing family.  The Anderson’s, a fishing family out of Rye, are selling shrimp in volume (100lb totes) directly from their boat, the F/V Rimrack (603-343-1500).
In addition, local fresh fish markets and winter’s farmer’s markets near the Seacoast will offer northern shrimp harvested by NH fishermen. Organizations such as Seacoast Eat Local offer information about eating locally grown and harvested food at www.seacoasteatlocal.org. To ensure that the shrimp is part of the N.H. Fresh and Local brand and harvested by a local fishermen, please visit www.nhseafood.com for a list of participating businesses.   

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December 6, 2009 by Sara Zoe.

Here are some details from Niaz of NAMA on the sustainability of our local shrimp (short story: it’s very good!)

Fisheries managers announced the opening of the season and the total allowable catch for 2010 season in late October.  To ensure the fishery remains healthy and to address some of the old problems with the shrimp fishery, shrimp fishermen meet many gear restrictions, including a minimum mesh size of 1¾” and use of the Nordmore grate, which separates shrimp from fish. To reduce physical damage to fish being returned to the sea, mechanical devices used to cull, grade, separate or shake shrimp are not allowed. So separating the fish from the shrimp by using the Nordmore grate before they are actually caught is critical.

Beyond these measures, the CSF fishermen have collaborated with researchers to develop additional sorting devices that have virtually eliminated bycatch and target only the large shrimp allowing those excluded to contribute to the next generation. These include a dual-grate system.

The dual -grate system requires installing a grate just before the Nordmore grate to help cull, sort and return to the ocean the small shrimp and therefore retain more of the larger shrimp.  Bringing larger shrimp onboard not only protects the next generations of shrimp, but it also allows consumers access to larger size shrimp that is wild and local. The large shrimp that’s currently on the market and most consumers seem to be looking for are farmed and imported – certainly not local or sustainable.

On Tuesday, November 24, 2009 Ken La Valley and Pingguo He of New Hampshire Sea Grant met with the CSF team to discuss the use of the dual-grate.  The meeting took place at the offices of the Massachusetts Fishermen’s Partnership in Gloucester.

“Fishermen supplying shrimp to the Cape Ann Fresh Catch CSF and the rest of our team met with the UNH gear researchers just last week to learn how the dual-grate works since they will be using this gear this winter,” said Steve Parke, Cape Ann Fresh Catch’s boat-to-table coordinator.  “This new gear will allow us to deliver the freshest local shrimp while ensuring the small shrimp go back into the ocean alive to contribute to the next generation of shrimp.”

“To be able to compete in the shrimp market which is flooded with the large, farmed shrimp having the tools that allow the local fishermen to catch bigger shrimp throughout the season is important,” said Niaz Dorry, director of the Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance, which supports the creation of CSFs.  “Almost all of the large shrimp that makes it to the US plates is farmed shrimp raised in tropical countries. The shrimp is raised under highly questionable conditions and certainly not sustainable by any measure we value. Reports of pesticides use, antibiotics, yield promoters and other chemicals are constant. We have even gotten reports of child labor violations in some countries.”

“In many countries, coastal waters are privatized to make room for farmed shrimp. In some countries such as India, the shrimp aquaculture facilities’ attempts to keep the salinity levels optimum have contaminated fresh water tables under the shrimp pens. Fishing communities have protested against shrimp farms both in the US and in countries where these farms are rampant. Some protests have led to bloodshed,” said Sanfilippo.  “By providing shrimp we not only support our local fishermen, we also take the pressure of farmed shrimp off our fellow fishermen and fishing communities around the world.  Everyone wins.”

Read the full article at Good Morning Glocester

Looking for local shrimp?

Visit us at the Winter Farmers’ Markets! All through December, January, and February, fishermen will be selling their local shrimp.

The Portsmouth Lobster Company will be offering both whole and cleaned shrimp at their store near Sagamore Creek

Looking for a lot of shrimp? You can buy 100 pound totes from the FV Rimrack and Madrigan out of Rye Harbor (.pdf)

Yankee Fishermen’s Cooperative is offering shrimp CSF shares

Eastman’s Fish and Seaport Fish are both carrying local shrimp throughout the season.

Check out the listings at NHseafood.com

How to peel and cook fresh shrimp (.pdf)

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October 31, 2009 by Debra.

This week’s demonstration in Gloucester by fishermen protesting federal rules changes, along with a recent visit to the Gulf of Maine Research Institute in Portland, has me thinking a lot about fish lately. We’re fortunate to have access to two different CSF’s that help support our local fisheries — Eastman’s for fish and the Yankee Fisherman’s Cooperative for native shrimp.

Eastman’s shares come as fillets but, for those of you who are interested, here’s a great video (via Diary of a Locavore) showing how to fillet haddock. Added bonus: getting a peek at fish processing.

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September 27, 2009 by Sara Zoe.

From Seaport Fish’s email newsletter:

Oyster Tasting and Beer Pairing Event
Friday October 9th 4-6pm

Come on down to Seaport Rye and try the only oysters harvested in New Hampshire by the Little Bay Oyster Company. NH Beer Distributors will also be here sampling some of their fantastic brews.

Oysters and beer, does it get better than that?

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