Topics: Business , Commercial fishing and shellfishing

Doug Feeney takes a break from loading mackerel into the coop’s custom-made smoker Tuesday morning. ALAN POLLOCK PHOTO

CHATHAM – Working in a field that rewards competitiveness and individual initiative, commercial fishermen have a strong streak of independence. But in creating a new partnership, the Chatham Harvesters’ Cooperative, they’re working together to develop new products in new markets, seeking to get the best possible prices for the fresh seafood they bring to port.

This afternoon (July 21) at about 5:30 p.m., coop President Doug Feeney will use a filet knife to cut the ribbon on the new facility in Commerce Park. The space includes a receiving area where fish can be prepared, and if necessary, vacuum-packed and frozen. An adjacent room features a sparkling commercial kitchen where workers will create value-added products that will provide new revenue opportunities for coop members.

“We are so excited to be connecting our fish-loving community more closely to its locally abundant and healthy seafood,” Feeney said. “Even though we live on the Cape, much of what gets served in restaurants and at seafood markets often travels far distances. We aim to build a stronger connection between what we catch and what our community has available to them.”

Those at today’s ribbon cutting will sample “poor man’s lobster” rolls made from locally-sourced monkfish, smoked mackerel, skate cheeks, monkfish clam chowder and clam pies. The coop aspires to launch three additional value-added seafood products this summer. The public will have a chance to buy products directly from the coop at weekly pop-up markets to be held at The Loop and at Chatham Works. Details will be posted at www.ChathamHarvesters.com.

Fisherman Luther Bates, a member of the coop’s board, said organizers first came together in a bid to get a better price for dogfish.

“About 99 percent of our dogfish gets exported and the result is that fishermen get paid very low. On top of that our local and regional seafood consumers missed out on healthy, abundant, and tasty local fish,” Bates said. Partnering with Boston-based seafood company Red’s Best, and using a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, they created a dogfish burger that they’ve successfully marketed to the University of Massachusetts system.

“The result was a higher price to fishermen, delicious food on the menu of universities, and a substantially reduced carbon footprint for our catch,” Bates said. Coop members soon realized the potential of having more control over what they catch and quickly began working toward obtaining their own local processing and kitchen space.

Earlier this year, the coop received another grant, this time from the state, that provided them with start-up funds to buy an ice machine, vacuum sealer packing machine, and state-of-the-art new commercial smoker oven. Providing fresh-frozen products is a key part of the business plan, and new freezing and vacuum sealing technology allows seafood to retain its great taste all the way to the end user.

“During COVID we all witnessed a major shock to the larger food supply chains. All of a sudden members of the public realized the importance of food security and local food access, which is a big part of our mission,” said board member Shannon Eldredge. “We want to do what used to be commonplace; have people in our fishing communities and region know their fishermen and have direct access to their local and cultural food.”

Even the coop’s new location holds some history. The double bay in an industrial building previously hosted shellfish processing operations, and before that, it was the home of Royce’s Clam Pies.

“Back in the ‘70s and ‘80s, Royce’s Clam Pies had much success here. This was around the same time when Chatham’s original fishermen’s cooperative formed,” Feeney said. “We hope to bring back some of these things that were a big part of Chatham’s culture and community.”

Chatham’s first fishermen's cooperative formed in the mid ‘70s under the name Chatham Seafood Cooperative. The company, owned and operated by its members, served hundreds of local fishermen with the goal of leveraging the collective catch in order to retain more of the fish’s value in the hands of local fishing families. During the ‘80s the cooperative struggled with a changing fishery and ultimately shut down.

This time, fishermen are working with guidance from the Vermont-based Cooperative Development Institute, which provides everything from business advice to technical assistance. A key lesson they offer is not to have more members than there is demand for products; for that reason, the Chatham Harvesters’ Cooperative is growing slowly and carefully. This summer will serve as a pilot season, and if the effort is successful, the coop will likely hire a full-time manager, facilities manager and commercial kitchen manager. Until then, organizers say, they’re taking baby steps.

This article has been changed to correct an error.

Dan Brady with his siblings Kiera, Meghan and Sean, 2006. FILE PHOTO

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