Technical Assistance

The commercial fishing sector in North America faces a number of challenges that make it increasingly difficult for community-based harvesters to sustain their livelihoods. Issues range from competition with cheap foreign imports to conflict with recreational anglers to interactions with protected species such as sea turtles, seals, and whales. These challenges are often further compounded by negative public perception and mistrust about the fishing industry. To address these issues, many community-based fishing operations are investing in local and direct marketing efforts as a way to make more for their catch and re-build relationships with their local communities. This has resulted in the proliferation of a range of novel marketing and distribution strategies. LCN aims to support and strengthen local and regional seafood systems by providing technical assistance through training, workshops, research, and 1-on-1 support to businesses and communities.