My appreciation to the Press Herald for encouraging your readers to consume locally sourced finfish, but your piece (“Try one fish, two fish, redfish and new fish,” Source, June 15) missed mentioning a number of seafood businesses that also source regionally caught seafood from the Gulf of Maine that include direct sales to consumers.

I wish to point out that comparing how fish and seafood products are made available to consumers is considerably different than farm-grown fruits and vegetables.

Most seafood products require processing into a form that consumers can easily handle and prepare – grading, filleting and de-boning are performed immediately after purchase of the whole fish – and are ready to purchase by consumers in hours.

Locally owned and operated seafood businesses Bristol Seafood, Cozy Harbor, Browne Trading, Douty Brothers, Harbor Fish Market, Free Range Fish & Lobster, Nova Seafood, PJ Merrill, Ad-Jon – all purchase fresh, Gulf of Maine seafood harvested responsibly by local fishermen on the Portland Fish Exchange auction.

In turn, this seafood is handled and processed under state and federal guidelines to ensure food safety and quality assurance to the ultimate local consumer.

In addition to providing fresh seafood, these companies employ hundreds of local individuals, creating activity that benefits the local economy. A number of these companies, along with the Portland Fish Exchange, have been serving the local economy for more than 25 years.

With fish stocks improving in the Gulf of Maine, these business will continue providing fresh seafood now and into the foreseeable future. I encourage your readers to patronize these local markets – and other retailers that sell fresh, Gulf of Maine seafood.

Buying locally sourced and harvested seafood, at good value, can be done from the businesses you know and trust.

Bert Jongerden,

general manager

Portland Fish Exchange

Portland

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