A Wilmington man connects buyers and sellers of seafood with technology.
The way Americans buy seafood, whether it’s restaurateurs and markets or consumers at retail, has yet to feel the touch of technology. There’s no large online store (you know the one) that has every variety of finfish, shellfish, sport fish, mollusk or cephalopod from anywhere in the world that can be delivered overnight. For the most part, if you want something as fresh as possible, either you call up your commercial fisherman or go to the fish market or dock and see what’s sitting on ice
Might it be nice if you pull out your phone to find something for dinner, or to put on your menu, see what’s available that complies with existing federal and state law, and order it right away? Or, you may be thinking ahead to next week’s menu and want to be sure the number of mussels necessary to feed about 14 customers per night is guaranteed, with some assurance you won’t run out or, worse, have leftovers you can’t sell.
This would go a long way toward making the market more sustainable by reducing waste and keeping consumers close to the source, thought Landon Hill, while deciding on a project to finish his degree in entrepreneurship and business at University of North Carolina at Wilmington.
His answer was to build an app, Local Catch, where commercial fishers could post what they’re bringing in, and buyers could post what they’re looking for. That app launched in 2021, and since then, he’s been traveling the country visiting fishers and attending conferences. Lately he’s pretty excited because registered users have hit 1,000.
“We have people on every coast in the United States including Alaska and Hawaii,” he says. “What we’re learning is how to make it useful for everyone.”
One challenge is that commercial fishers are reluctant to adopt technology. Many have been in the business for years and learned how it works from the seamen before them. “We believe we can help form relationships among those in the business.” He adds, “This is part of making the industry more sustainable, not only by eliminating food waste, but by making sure fishermen are making a living.”
Nathan King of Seaview Crab Company says the app is a good idea; the fish market is using it to post seafood that’s usually available in the store. Other markets in the Wilmington area say they sell all their product each day but acknowledge that the industry could benefit from using technology.
Here’s where Hill gets excited. “We want people to be able to see what’s at the market before they call in and get in the car and drive there,” he says. “It’ll save everyone time.
“It’ll catch on.”
The story was originally published in the Spring 2024 issue.
