BY WALTER GRIFFIN
FOR THE MIDCOAST BEACON

BELFAST — The recent opening of Harrigan’s Seafood has given local lobster fishermen another outlet for their catches.

Owners Chuck Gerry and Rachelle Cummings-Gerry of Belfast are offering top dollar for fresh lobster landed at the city’s docks, a deal that a number of fishermen who were taking their catch out of town warmed to immediately.
Their decision was likely prompted by the fact that Chuck Gerry is the son of Charles Gerry, a Belfast resident who fished lobster from the city for more than 20 years.

“I fished with my father when I was a boy, and he was kind of my in with the fishermen. They all knew him and that’s why I was able to buy from them,” Chuck Gerry said. “All our lobster comes from Belfast. As long as they can provide us with as much lobster as we need, we have no reason to go anywhere else.”

Rachelle Cummings-Gerry said they talked about getting into the seafood business for some time and decided to make the move this summer. The company has leased the former Belfast and Moosehead Lake Railroad roundhouse on the city’s waterfront and is in the process of converting it into a lobster pound.

Besides their wholesale business, they also plan to open a retail fish market. The roundhouse is adjacent to the Belfast Farmers’ Market site, and having fresh fish available will provide a welcome addition for shoppers, she said.
“He’s talked about this kind of business before, but it had just never been the right time. But with Young’s [Shellfish] closing we felt it was time,” she said. “This summer we sat down and really had a serious discussion about it. We feel we can really fill a niche with the retail and the wholesale.”

Chuck Gerry said he deliberately decided to offer a higher price than some of the other buyers because he felt the fishermen deserved it. He said the company wants to be a part of the fishing community and has worked closely with most of the Belfast fishermen.

“The fishermen were great and very helpful. David Black, in particular, was very helpful,” Chuck Gerry said. “Originally, it was the fact that I was paying the most, but I think they like dealing with me, too. I come down to the dock to make the pick up. They don’t have to take their truck or boat out of town.”

“I think they like to support local people and we like to support local people, too,” Cummings-Gerry said.

Chuck Gerry grew up in Belfast and his wife is from Millinocket. She worked a number of years at MBNA and is now a project manager at Moss Inc. Chuck Gerry is the director of technology for Unitel in Unity.

Both will continue their full-time professions while operating Harrigan’s. Doing that means early mornings and late nights picking lobster meat and buying product, but the couple is prepared for the challenge. They also plan to hire part-time help when the need arises.

Gerry has begun making trips to Port Clyde to purchase fresh fish off the dock and is selling lobsters and fish to a number of area restaurants. The fact that he is nearby and available on a moment’s notice has helped him expand his sales.

“I go down there and pull the fish right from the hold. I can get fish right off the boat. It’s fresh,” Chuck Gerry said. “The local restaurants like that I’m here because they can call me at 3:00, say ‘I’m out of lobster,’ and I can have lobster to them in five or 10 minutes.”

The company is named in honor of Chuck Gerry’s grandfather Charles Harrigan, a native of Parrsboro, Nova Scotia, who moved to the Belfast area as a young man.

Although the couple plans to eventually ship lobsters and fresh fish throughout the state and beyond, they agreed to grow the business slowly, so as not to get ahead of themselves.

“You’ve got to keep it within reason and work your way up and not overextend yourself,” Cummings-Gerry said. “Also, we’re both working full-time jobs.”

Harrigan’s Seafood Company can be reached at 930-9060 or at harrigansseafood.com.