WESTPORT, Mass. — The "Buy Fresh, Buy Local" movement has just headed out to sea. Starting this week, Massachusetts lobster fishermen can have their catch certified by the commonwealth under a new initiative designed to help both fishermen and consumers.
The newly introduced Commonwealth Quality Program allows participating fishermen to attach a label to their catch certifying that it is caught locally. Consumers will know they are buying a Massachusetts product that has met strict geographic and sustainability requirements established by the Department of Agricultural Resources, state officials say. And fishermen will have a chance to market their catch as a fresh local product in the face of stiff competition from Canadian imports and elsewhere.
Several lobstermen from Gloucester to Westport have signed up for the program, which was unveiled in Boston last week.
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