TOP: The Pigeon Cove facility sits on the waterfront in Cloucester, Mass., where fishing captains bring in 

 the daily catch. BOTTOM: Flounder fillets are sorted into trays prior to packaging. 



"We got a lot out of talking with 

 fishermen in Stonington," says Pam Morris, a 

 RCCI representative and wife of commercial 

 fisherman Herbert Morris. "The town supports 

 the fishing industry by leasing the harbor to 

 the commercial fishing industry and seafood 

 packing houses." 



In exchange for using the harbor, Morris 

 says the fishing captains and seafood dealers 

 helped pay for the dock, while the town is 

 responsible for repairs. The town also uses the 

 commercial fleet for heritage tourism. At the 

 dock, workers answer questions from tourists 

 while mending nets or doing other chores. 



"Everybody in the community is 

 benefiting in a positive way," she adds. 



AGRICULTURAL MODEL 



To brand Carteret County seafood, 

 0' Sullivan says the marketing group is 

 following the model used by the N.C. 

 Department of Agriculture & Consumer 

 Services for niche marketing. 



To boost sales of top-quality agricultural 

 and seafood products grown, processed or 

 manufactured in the state, the department has a 

 number of branding programs. The "Freshness 

 from North Carolina Waters "(FFNCW) 

 program requires that participants use North 

 Carolina seafood when it is available and in- 

 season. 



"Our program is generic and focuses 

 on all North Carolina seafood," says William 



Small, seafood marketing specialist for the 

 N.C. Dept. of Agriculture & Consumer Services. 

 "It helps fishermen and processors market their 

 products by letting consumers know the products 

 they are buying are top quality and locally 

 harvested." 



To compete with foreign markets, the 

 department also has begun radio and magazine 

 ads encouraging consumers to buy shrimp 

 caught in North Carolina. 



"We are trying to emphasize that the 

 state's shrimp are fresh and have a firmer flesh 

 that tastes better than imported shrimp," says 

 Small. "We also are working closely with retail 

 buyers, such as Lowes Foods, to purchase North 

 Carolina shrimp in season." 



In addition, some North Carolina chefs are 

 developing native shrimp recipes that will be 

 sent to food editors and home economists. 



The goal is to create a positive public 

 image about all North Carolina seafood and 

 aquaculture products through the campaign, 

 adds Small. 



Recent market research conducted by 

 North Carolina Sea Grant and N.C. Cooperative 

 Extension indicates that the public is more 

 inclined to purchase local seafood over foreign 

 imports, when given a choice. 



And a survey taken at the recent Seafood 

 Festival agrees. Of the 175 respondents, 84 

 percent expected seafood purchased at the coast 

 to be locally caught; 94 percent expected seafood 

 in local restaurants to be locally caught; and 92 

 percent said they were more likely to purchase 

 seafood that is certified as locally caught. 



"Consumers are willing to pay a premium 

 price for seafood that comes from a specific 

 locale and is obtained from fishermen who use 

 sustainable practices," Nash says. 



In addition to the public's increased 

 awareness of the health benefits of seafood, the 

 threat of bioterrorism to the national food supply 

 also has contributed to rising interest in local 

 seafood. 



"Most seafood sold in the United States is 

 imported — and people are starting to review 

 federally mandated package labels to learn the 

 origin of their seafood," Nash adds. 



Continued 



COASTWATCH 15 



