A new fishery, dubbed the U.K.’s first “community supported fishery,” opened this week in Brighton, geared toward supporting responsible fishing practices.
Called Catchbox, the fishery is a public cooperative, where members buy a share of local fishermen’s entire annual catch, paying at the beginning of the season, and the fishermen deliver fish to the customer until the season’s end.
The idea, supporters said, was to strengthen the connection between people and the local fishermen, which makes the public more aware of where their fish is coming from.
“With the horsemeat scandal shining a much-needed spotlight on some of the most damaging practices in our food system, the launch of the brilliant Catchbox initiative couldn’t be more timely,” said MP Caroline Lucas.
The fishery will also expose the public to a wide variety of fish, since the customers’ agreements are not species-specific.
“As a fishermen, being involved in Catchbox is an experiment. It has the potential to be a better way of reaching new and local customers, interested in a wider variety of fish,” said Peter Williams, a fisherman based in Chichester.
Brighton resident James Hakner said he likes the Catchbox concept.
"I'm keen to sign-up to Catchbox. I do like to eat fresh and local, but I'm also really looking forward to getting to know more about our fishermen, neighbors — and of course, the fish themselves,” he said.
