Florida's First Community Supported Fishery and Seafood Market Takes Center Stage at the 2015 Aspen Ideas Festival

Florida is taking center stage in a new documentary that premiered at the 2015 Aspen Ideas Festival. A documentary series focused on the "Idea Economy" features Dock to Dish Key West (D2D™), Florida's first Community Supported Fishery (CSF) and Community Seafood Market (CSM), as one of three forward-looking enterprises singled out by multi award-winning documentary filmmaker Alison Klayman for the contributions the company is making to seafood sustainability, consumer health, and the livelihoods of Florida's commercial fishermen.

“We are extremely proud to have been selected by Klayman for the ‘Idea Economy’ documentary series,” D2D co-founder Tony Osborn said today. “Our inclusion proves that, together with our commercial fishermen, we do have the power to ‘rock the boat’ in the seafood industry. It’s exciting that a small company from a small town has the power to make a difference. This documentary provides our cause, mission and method with invaluable exposure on a national scale.”

HP Matter partnered with Klayman to develop a film series, “The Idea Economy”, that highlights the technology behind some of today's businesses that are disrupting and challenging the status quo in their respective industries. Each documentary explores the vision, passion and technological infrastructure of these companies that cultivates a need to change the world. In addition to D2D, the two other companies featured in the film series – which premiered on June 29th at the Aspen Ideas Festival – include Vimeo and One Kings Lane.

The Aspen Ideas Festival is the nation's premier, public gathering place for leaders from around the globe to discuss issues that shape our lives and challenge our times.

The documentary explores how D2D is disrupting the traditional fishing industry’s status quo and developing a sustainable system enabled by instant communication. Delivering fresh fish daily, according to the documentary, requires precise tracking of inventory and a communication platform for fisherman and customers. D2D’s model relies on the instantaneous sharing of information between fisherman and seafood market, seafood market and restaurant, and seafood market and consumer. “Each day, individual members and restaurants receive texts and emails alerting them on the catch of the day for purchase,” Paul Menta said. “D2D’s model begins and ends with mobile communication- and it’s working.” Mr. Menta participated alongside the film’s director Alison Klayman and Hewlett Packard’s CIO Ramon Baez in a discussion panel with an invitation-only audience of 700 attendees.

In the six short months since its founding in February of 2015, over 200 individual and restaurant members have signed up to purchase seafood from the market. “We’re so excited to share locally caught, sustainable American seafood with our customers because it’s the safest and healthiest catch in the world,” co-founder Chris Holland emphasized. “By utilizing communication methods, we’re raising the quality of seafood sold in Florida. We’re also improving the livelihood of local fisherman, who are now provided with both consistent work and a higher per price per pound compared to the fishing conglomerates exporting our delicious Florida fish overseas.”

While D2D has experienced immense success in Florida, the documentary brings the state’s first community supported fishery and seafood market to national attention — a goal that Holland strives for. “I want sustainable seafood or, as we call it – sea-stainability – to be at the forefront of everyone’s minds,” he said. “This documentary elevates our mission beyond what we’ve established in Florida.”

The Florida Keys' Best Flats Fishing Is Now Literally Just Outside Your Door at Ibis Bay Beach Resort!

IBIS BAY Beach Resort in Key West, Florida receives a lot of praise for its authentic 1950s Key West ambiance, its first-rate 21st Century service, its plentiful watersport activities, and its immediacy to the Trip Advisor 5-star rated Stoned Crab restaurant.  But there’s one major new attraction that traveling fisherman are really going to love — the newly enhanced IBIS Bay Fish Camp!

IBIS BAY is home to the only boat ramp to Key West’s bay, putting flats fishing just outside the door for any of the resort’s guests. Recognizing how important this area is for visiting fisherman, owner Chris Holland has made it a priority to provide everything a fisherman guest might need to enjoy the bounty of the Key West’s beautiful waters. This includes Key West’s only boat ramp on the bay for guests who bring their own flats boat, as well as two house-owned boats for rent, a group of rooms called the Fish Camp with maritime decorations and outdoor cleaning stations, and fresh catch cooking at the red-hot Stoned Crab restaurant in front of the resort! 

Jason Wells, manager of the Stoned Crab, is a local Key West fisherman who also runs two commercial fishing boats in Alaska during sockeye salmon season each year. According to Wells, the fishing, food and experience at IBIS BAY and the Stoned Crab is second-to-none. 

“Key West is a fisherman’s paradise,” Wells said. “From March to July there’s a huge bounty of tarpon, permit and bonefish, and the actual variety is much larger for the patient fisherman. We know these waters are fantastic because we fish them every day, and that’s also why we are able to serve the best seafood on the island. We’ll cook your catch for a small fee as well, giving you a self-caught meal like you’ve never had before.” 

So what is staying at IBIS BAY like for flats fishermen? Imagine waking up in a beautiful room, opening the door to a gorgeous white sand beach and being able to get out on the water in minutes. Guests without a boat can rent the resort’s 19-foot Release for a full day ($575) or half day ($375) with or without a captain (additional $100 for half day, $150 for full day), or take out the resort’s 24-foot Starcraft ($600) for a 5-hour trip with a captain, paddleboards, beach chairs, water masks, and a special sandbar cookout of any catches courtesy of the captain! This make it a great option for families as well as seasoned fishermen. 

“Local fisherman and visitors alike know that Key West’s waters are ripe with incredible catches every day of the year,” said IBIS BAY owner Chris Holland. “The fishing community here is vibrant and friendly, and for many travelers a fishing and fresh cooking experience is something they won’t get anywhere else. For veteran fishermen we’re excited to offer them Key West’s only bayside boat ramp and everything they need to clean and prepare their fish for a fantastically fresh and delicious meal at the Stoned Crab restaurant.” 

IBIS BAY has quickly become a favorite among travelers and locals and is already having a big impact on the local community through the many events and fundraisers it hosts.  As the island’s only beach resort to embrace Key West’s Cuban history, IBIS BAY stands alone as both a resort and a destination.  Owner Chris Holland is all about authentic travel, and he has fused the island’s classic 1950s style with 21st century comforts to create a fun, uniquely Key West destination.

Additionally, Holland has recently teamed with New York-based Dock to Dish to bring the locally-sourced seafood membership based Seafood Market to Key West. They are passionate about serving and selling only the freshest fish available, whether in the Stoned Crab restaurant or at the new on-site Dock to Dish Seafood Market. 

IBIS BAY offers rental bicycles, scooters and electric golf carts to help you get around the island, jet skis to have fun on the water, and IBIS BAY Paddle Sports to take you, your friends and your family out for an amazing kayak or paddleboard adventure where you can see all sorts of marine life. Be sure to check out the clear-bottom kayaks for an incredible tour where you can watch the ocean floor sweep by while the brilliant tour guides tell you all about the island and its rich ecosystem. 

For more info visit www.ibisbayresort.com or call them at 305-296-1043. Reservations for all activities including boat, vehicle and watersport rentals can be made with the front desk, even if you aren’t staying at the resort.

Keys Commercial Fishermen to Celebrate Opening of Florida's First Community Seafood Market (CSM) on February 14 in Key West

Dock to Dish Key West®, Florida’s first Community Supported Fishery (CSF), today announced that it will open Florida’s first Community Seafood Market (CSM) on Saturday, February 14, 2015 —Valentine’s Day— in Key West.

“Get to know your fishermen. They are America’s most endangered species,” said Dock to Dish Key West co-founder Chris Holland, who hailed the upcoming Seafood Market opening as the start of the next chapter in the sustainable seafood revolution.  “By combining mobile app convenience with traditional CSF quality standards, we are taking the next logical step in the evolution of the CSF model with the opening of the first CSM (Community Seafood Market). The new mobile technology behind this market, which will be available in June, is a powerful weapon in the fight to reclaim America’s oceans for the community. Our new mobile market app will put our fishermen and our community in direct contact with each other. This market will help reinstate the Florida Keys as the country’s highest quality seafood provider and rebuild the livelihoods of local-area commercial fishermen.”

According to co-founder and commercial fisherman Tony Osborn, the difficult mission was to adhere to the strict CSF guidelines established by Dock to Dish Montauk while finding new ways to make the healthiest, freshest seafood available to more community members in record time. The new fishermen-owned Dock to Dish Seafood Market is the first brick and mortar CSM market to offer nothing but local fish and seafood harvested by local area commercial fishermen. The market will also serve as the pick up point for the Dock to Dish Community Supported Fishery, scheduled to begin in June.

“This first-of-its-kind CSM Seafood Market will benefit both commercial fishermen and the community by reconnecting them directly with one another,” Osborn emphasized."In our CSM business model, there's just the Dock to Dish fishermen who caught the fish, the fishermen-owned market where the fish is cleaned and fileted, and the members who enjoy the fish. Fishermen can now meet their customers and customers can get to know their fishermen. Locally caught, sustainable American seafood is the safest and healthiest catch in the world. Making this direct connection will permanently raise the quality of seafood sold in Florida, improve the health of our community and improve the livelihoods of our local fishermen, who are vital to our economy.”

Holland added, “Dock to Dish is the antidote to the anonymous, and often unregulated seafood that is flooding our restaurant menus, warehouse clubs, and supermarkets from Asia and South America. 86% of the seafood America currently eats is imported*. Knowing your fishermen is the secret to better quality, better health and a better local economy.”

According to commercial fisherman and market manager Jason Wells, “Individual members and local area restaurant members will be able to see our boats come to the dock, watch our cutters prepare the fish through large windows, and make their purchase right on the spot. You can’t get fresher or more transparent than that! Many tourists come to watch it too.”

Co-founder and chef Paul Menta added, “Time is the enemy of all fresh produce, especially just-caught seafood. What makes this Seafood Market such a game changer is that we will be using mobile app technology, available in June, to communicate with our CSM and CSF members. Every Dock to Dish membership will include a mobile app that will inform members what each boat’s catch of the day is. With very few keystrokes, they can then tell us what seafood they want and how much they want. No phone calls, no emails. All they have to do is come in to our waterfront market and pick up the freshest fish they have ever had. The whole “conversation” is completed within the app. It’s very fast and that means very fresh.” 

Commenting on the impact the new Seafood Market will have on local commercial fishermen, Florida Keys Commercial Fishermen’s Association (FKCFA) Executive Director Bill Kelly noted, “The ancient art of commercial fishing is now being updated for the 21st Century and we couldn’t be more thrilled.  Chris and his team of commercial fishermen are using all of their resources plus the latest technology to reinvent the way fishermen connect with the community.”  All fishermen who supply to the Dock to Dish Community Supported Fishery and the Dock to dish Community Seafood Market must adhere to Dock to Dish’s fish-on-board policies.

Located at 3101 North Roosevelt Boulevard (on the dock adjacent to the Stoned Crab restaurant), the new Dock to Dish Seafood Market will be open seven days a week from 11:00AM until 9:00PM.  For up to date information, supporters and members can visit www.docktodish.com, call (305) 296-0274or email to fresh@docktodish.com.

Consumers must become market members. The one time membership fee is $35.  Members will receive a Dock to Dish Members Kit. The kit includes items they will need to keep their fish fresh on the way home: an insulated, reusable carry bag; one LCD thermometer; one reusable ice pack; insulated zippered pouches; the Dock to Dish Mobile App (with alerts) (in June) plus their membership card; a Dock to Dish Key West T-Shirt and a copy of Dock to Dish Chef Paul Menta’s book “Native Fuel” full of insights, recipes and local Keys food history. Paul Menta calls it, "not just a cookbook, but a food adventure.”

About Florida Keys Commercial Fishermen’s Association:

Founded in 1992, the Florida Keys Commercial Fishermen’s Association (FKCFA) is a professional organization representing stakeholders engaged in the commercial harvest of spiny lobster, stone crab and finfish in Monroe County, Florida.  Monroe County, including all of the Florida Keys and a small portion of southwestern Florida’s mainland, comprises the largest commercial seaport in the state and the second largest in the southeastern United States.  The industry is one of the most heavily regulated in the nation, governed by both state and federal agencies and a multitude of rules and regulations.  Thus, the primary work of the association is addressing fisheries management issues on state and federal levels.

FKCFA is widely known for their environmental work through cooperative research programs including gear modifications and testing, development of coral protection zones, internships for undergraduate and post-graduate students and their own scholarship program for Monroe County students.  The association prides itself on education and awareness of the socio-economic side of the industry and importance to the Florida Keys as the second largest economic engine in the islands, next to tourism, and the second largest employer.  Commercial fishing in the Florida Keys is generational in nature and dates back almost 200 years in the annals of Keys’ history. 

Dock To Dish to Open Florida's First Community Supported Fishery in Key West in February 2015

Nearly 90% of all the seafood consumed by Americans is imported and nearly 50% of these imports are from aquaculture sources*. 

The fight to bring fresh and healthy local seafood back to American consumers now expands from one traditionally strong commercial fishing center to another.

Dock to Dish (www.docktodish.com), Long Island’s original Community and Restaurant Supported Fishery, headquartered in Montauk, New York, today announced plans to open Florida’s first ever Community Supported Fishery in Key West in February 2015 in conjunction with Key West restaurateur Chris Holland and the Florida Keys Commercial Fishermen’s Association (www.fkcfa.org).

Dock to Dish’s Chris Holland (left) and Sean Barrett (right) celebrate the launch of Dock to Dish Key West.

The goal of the new enterprise, according to Dock to Dish founder Sean Barrett, is to bring the health benefits of locally harvested fish and seafood back to local consumers while helping to strengthen the in-state commercial fishing industry. “This is the first small step in what we hope will become a Florida-wide enterprise that brings commercial fisherman, consumers, and restaurant owners together in a cause that will improve the community’s health and businesses. And do so deliciously!" 

Barrett said that he picked Key West to be the second Dock to Dish market for one reason, “Chris Holland. We get contacted regularly about all kinds of things, but when Chris reached out we immediately knew this was a special situation. He has been working in Key West on solving the same problems we are working on in Montauk, where all too often what we see on the menus and in the grocery stores comes far from our local waters. Chris is solution-driven and speaks the language of ‘fresh’ fluently.”

According to Holland, owner of the Stoned Crab Restaurant, “Americans need to take a stand now against the large Asian and South American fish farms that are negatively impacting our commercial fishing industry and poisoning unsuspecting consumers. People think that the fish they are buying in supermarkets is safe, inspected, and healthy — when it is none of these things.  In fact, nearly 90% of all the seafood consumed by Americans is imported and much of the fish that is imported comes from sources that are barely regulated or often completely unregulated.”

Holland and Barrett understand what they are up against. “Yes, this is a case of two small Davids taking on Goliath, but let’s never forget that David in fact slew Goliath.”

Dock to Dish Key West co-founders include commercial fisherman Tony Osborn (left) and local chef Paul Menta (right), pictured here sorting a fresh haul of Florida Stone Crab and Gulf Lobster!

According to Barrett and Holland, the new Dock to Dish Key West Community Supported Fishery will be launched in support of and in conjunction with the Florida Keys Commercial Fishermen’s Association, under the leadership of executive director Bill Kelly, who today noted,  “We are proud to be a part of this historic enterprise to bring fresh seafood back to Key West and strengthen the livelihoods of our commercial fishermen and our island economy.”

“Seafood is a renewable natural resource and cooperative efforts between fishery managers and stakeholders have kept all key indicator species in the Florida Keys at sustainable levels,” Kelly said. “Every year, our fleet harvests responsible amounts of seafood, which allows for stocks to rebuild themselves. None of our commercially-important species are overfished, including shrimp, lobster, stone crab, kingfish, Spanish mackerel, gag, red and black grouper, and mangrove, yellowtail and mutton snappers. Now, through Dock to Dish, these fish can be enjoyed by Keys’ residents and visitors again.  The in-state movement to reclaim our heritage starts here in Key West.” 

Initial plans call for Dock to Dish to launch its Community Supported Fishery memberships by June 2015 at a Dock to Dish Seafood Market that will open at the IBIS Bay Beach Resort, 3101 North Roosevelt Boulevard in Key West on February 14, Valentine’s Day.

Outreach to local restaurants to support the cause and consumer memberships will begin immediately thereafter. “Key West will get to know their fishermen again. Just like it used to be. They will be able to pick up their weekly subscription of seafood at the market. It’s just 20ft away from our dock,” Holland explained.  “Our goal is to stop the industry from sending our fresh, locally harvested and sustainable seafood abroad for someone else to enjoy. We need to be eating the tastiest, safest seafood in the world, not the worst.”

Details on the Community Supported Fishery membership packages are being finalized now and will be announced shortly.  Memberships will be available in June 2015. The Dock to Dish Seafood market is open to all members of the public starting February 14, 2015. For more information, please visit docktodish.com for updates as they become available.