Gulf of Maine, Explained: Sustainable Seafood

Supporting Gulf of Maine Seafood

Our sustainable seafood team is often asked why they work to promote the purchase of regional seafood from the Gulf of Maine — isn't the region known for its abundance of delicious seafood?

While it's true that we have a diverse range of responsibly harvested seafood in the region, some species – like haddock, cod, and other flaky white fish – face challenges competing against the global marketplace, even on a local level.

Countries with larger ocean territories like Norway, Iceland, and Russia harvest much higher quantities of species like haddock and import them to the US and New England. Those imported goods are often appealing to local restaurants and retailers because they can be cheaper and more readily available due to being frozen, meaning they’re sometimes easier to access than the fresh haddock or other flaky white fish caught in our own backyard.

That's one reason why Kyle and her team do the work that they do — to make it easier for restaurants, local retailers, and consumers to source their seafood right here from the Gulf of Maine.

If you enjoy seafood, you also have a lot of power to help support the local industry. Kyle shares three ways you can help make a difference:

• Ask where your seafood is coming from before purchasing it.
• Ask for local seafood — we know from talking to restaurants and retailers that hearing from their customers makes a big impact!
• Mix it up! Try different local species like monkfish, mackerel, mussels, and Atlantic bluefin tuna.

We have a remarkable range of seafood right here in the Gulf of Maine that's good for our health, good for the livelihoods of fishermen and sea farmers, and good for the coastal communities who depend on working waterfronts thrive.

The next time you venture out for seafood in New England, try something new and ask for local — it's a win-win-win.