Browsing by Subject "Community Supported Fishery (CSF)"

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    Describing the diversity of community supported fishery programs in North America
    (Marine Policy, 2016-04-01) Bolton, AE; Dubik, BA; Stoll, JS; Basurto, X
    © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. This research investigates organizational diversity within Community Supported Fisheries (CSFs) in North America. Generally understood as the direct marketing of seafood through pre-arranged deliveries, CSFs have increased in number and geographic distribution since their origin in 2007. Despite, or because of, this rapid growth, fundamental questions remain unanswered about what organizational structures and business practices currently constitute the term 'CSF'. This research draws on interview data from 22 CSFs to highlight the diversity within the CSF movement and inform ongoing debates about appropriate paths for their continued growth. Interview data is used to describe key areas of convergence and divergence among the goals, business practices, and structures of CSFs. Three general types of CSF are identified based on this analysis: harvester focused, consumer focused and species focused. Each type is described through a short illustrative case study. Overall results indicate that the term 'CSF' does not currently refer to a specific structure or type of organization, but rather an approach to seafood marketing used by a variety of organizations with broadly similar production philosophies centered on engaging and informing consumers around traceable, domestically sourced seafood. Acknowledgment of CSFs as diverse and socially embedded organizations is necessary to understanding their potential benefits.
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    Dock to Doorstep: An Overview of Community Supported Fishery (CSF) Programs in the United States & Canada
    (2015-04-09) Bolton, Alexis
    In response to an increasingly globalized seafood industry, Community Supported Fishery (CSF) programs have gained popularity over the last decade. Based loosely on the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) model, CSFs have been described as one way to alter the traditional seafood supply chain by connecting fishers more directly to consumers. While there are a number of potential benefits to this marketing strategy, CSF programs can vary with respect to their goals, institutional structure, sourcing practices, distribution methods, and supplementary seafood sales, which may result in differential benefits to consumers and harvesters. To further investigate these differences and why they may occur, I conducted phone interviews with 22 CSFs, representing 56% of the CSFs currently in operation the United States and Canada. Results indicate CSF programs are diverse and greater consideration should be taken to understand the potential benefits of each unique model. To draw attention to the diversity of arrangements the term ‘CSF’ represents, and help ensure the potential benefits of particular CSF arrangements are presented accurately, three types of CSFs are identified based on the results of this study.
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    Thinking Outside the Fishbox: Innovative Ideas for Overcoming the Challenges Fishermen Face Selling their Catch from Boat-to-Fork
    (2017-04-27) Williams, Daniella
    One rapidly growing approach to support both healthy fisheries and fishing communities is the promotion of local seafood, via direct marketing arrangements such as Community Supported Fisheries (CSF). CSFs are a strategy based on the Community Supported Agriculture model in which fishermen sell their catch directly to consumers. In this study, previously identified barriers impeding the growth and long-term economic sustainability of these systems are ranked through pairwise comparison of discrete choices undertaken by members of the LocalCatch.org network. The resulting top 5 barriers are: (1) Gaining access to processing, storage, and/or markets. (2) Setting prices for catch that are fair to both fishermen and customers. (3) Balancing the extra time and energy required for marketing with the need to leave flexibility for good fishing days or doing other things. (4) Creating the most value for product after accounting for the costs of distribution, processing, and coordination. (5) Selling catch to institutions such as hospitals and schools. This study aims to facilitate innovative problem solving to identified top barriers by soliciting solution proposals from a variety of disciplines, to be unconstrained by the experiences, histories and understanding of those presently immersed in fisheries. I identified speakers through a combination of solution proposal selection and individual solicitation. All speakers were non-fishermen, and only one speaker is currently involved in running an alternative marketing arrangement. Each speaker presented their pitch to the LocalCatch.org network via a webinar in April 2017 as a first step in moving past these barriers towards the further sustainable economic growth of alternative marketing arrangements. The April webinar was recorded and made available as a resource on the LocalCatch.org website, with contact information listed for speakers. Following the webinar I collected feedback from attendees, with results indicating that the techniques, resources and ideas presented will be utilized by attendees in the future. Attendees also showed interest in reaching out to four of the five speakers directly for further information. By providing contact information for speakers, this project hopes to further connections for the LocalCatch.org network and move solutions forward to next steps, from conception to implementation.