Northeast Seafood Coalition Partners with Cape Ann Brewing Co. to Promote Locally Caught, Underutilized Fish

In January the Northeast Seafood Coalition and the Cape Ann Brewing Company partnered to celebrate lesser-known and underutilized seafood caught in the waters just off the coast of New England.  The Pub at Cape Ann Brewing Co., located on Gloucester’s historic working waterfront, hosted a five-course seafood dinner with a beer pairing for each course. Plus, local fisherman and musician Paul “Sasquatch” Cohan entertained the crowd with his original music.

The menu featured fresh, sustainable fish donated by Cape Ann Seafood Exchange including Atlantic pollock, monkfish, skate and redfish—all delicious and often overlooked fish available at local fish markets and many restaurants.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s “FishWatch,” all four species’ featured at the dinner have population levels that are sustainable, with no overfishing occurring. The Atlantic pollock, monkfish, Acadian redfish resources are well above their target population levels, and skate is sustainable, according to FishWatch. The monkfish resource has been rebuilt since 2008, while the redfish population was declared fully rebuilt in June 2012.

Gloucester gillnet fisherman John Montgomery owns and operates the fishing vessel “Chandelle,” which primarily operates in Gulf of Maine and targets monkfish in addition to other groundfish. “I participate in the monkfish fishery during various times of the year as an alternative to the groundfish fishery. It is an abundant species, and I’d like to see it on more restaurant menus and cooked at home,” Montgomery said.

The average seafood consumer may not regularly purchase redfish, monkfish, skate or pollock at their local fishmonger or order at a restaurant, but these fish are just as delicious and healthy as more popular fish.

Both the Cape Ann Brewing Co. and Cape Ann Seafood Exchange have been long-term members of NSC, supporting the non-profit organization in its mission to work with government regulations and environmental concerns to preserve the long-term health of fishery resources, fishing communities and the fishing industry.