100% of red crab was exported to Canada for further processing.
Just one end user (a national restaurant chain) was selling it as a low value “generic” crab.
Red crab was competing to be the cheapest of the cheap foreign imports.
Demand for red crab was decreasing overall. Since MSC certification:
Williams and partners established the Atlantic Red Crab Company.
A new processing plant in New Bedford, MA, processes 100% of the red crab, providing jobs to over 100 people.
Slade Gorton, a $300 million/year seafood processing and distribution company, has partnered to develop high-end markets and value-added items.
Red crab is now sold in discerning marketplaces such as Whole Foods, Wegmans, Target, and the European Union. In the end, Williams’ continuous investments in research and ensuring sustainability accomplish two things: They ensure that the resource won’t be overharvested, thus contributing to long-term viability of his business; and they harness the market’s desire for responsibly produced, innovative products. There’s a lesson in this crab tale. Investing in research and continuous improvement isn’t just good for the resource, it’s good for business. After all, in the seafood world, the resource is our business. Jen Levin is the Sustainable Seafood Program Manager at the Gulf of Maine Research Institute.
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