Delaware Fresh Seafood -caught locally, -sold locally. Experience freshness in the first state!
Fish and visitors smell in three days. --Ben Franklin When it comes to seafood, freshness counts. Unfortunately, most of the seafood that is consumed in the United States is imported from other countries, adding hours, days, handling, and transportation to the shelf time of the fish, and the freshness suffers. Delaware has the advantage of being bay and ocean side, and there are hundreds of commercial watermen who can supply fresh, local seafood year round, so take advantage of it! Local Seafood Local seafood comes from local sources. Many advantages are supplied by local seafood. Seafood is at its freshest when time from harvest to sale to table is reduced. Local seafood is harvested in a sustainable way by commercial fishermen who are regulated. Seafood from other countries is often under regulated, and some stocks are overfished. Buying local seafood keeps money in the local economy. Less money is spent on the middleman for packaging and travel, so the harvester, dealer, and local buyer all benefit. Local seafood is an experience for the consumer; the seasonality of local catch means that the buyer can sample different dishes all year long. Recipes are easily found on the internet, so expand your palate! Local seafood makes sense ecologically. Buying and selling locally eliminates oil, gas emissions, and road congestion. When you buy locally, you buy from harvesters who live in the area, and care about their waterways, you help to preserve a heritage and a way of life. Buy local fish and get the full Delaware Fresh Seafood experience.
Where can you find Delaware Fresh Seafood without even having to catch it yourself? 21 22 25 24 23 20 14 11 18 19 12 16 15 13 17 4 6 9 7 2 3 8 5 1 10 * Locations are approximate.
Delaware Fresh Seafood Dealers by county: Sussex County 1. Bailey s Seafood (302) 732-9401 US Route 113 Route 3, Box 261 Frankford, DE 19945 Retail: Seafood and Carryout 2. Bob s Clams (302) 645-0166 19708 Dorman Farm Lane Lewes, DE 19958 Retail/Wholesale: Clams 3. Copp s Seafood (302) 645-9112 34392 Copps Lane Lewes, DE 19958 Retail/Wholesale: Clams, Oysters, Rockfish, Bluefish, Flounder, and more. 4. Harbor House Seafood (302) 629-0244 504 Bridgeville Hwy. Seaford, DE 19973 Retail/Wholesale: Finfish and Shellfish Fresh and Frozen 5. Hook em and Cook em (302) 226-8220 39401 Inlet Rd. Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971 Retail: Shellfish and Finfish 6. Lewes FishHouse (302) 644-0708 17696 Coastal Highway Lewes, DE 19958 Retail/Wholesale: Shellfish and Finfish 7. Rehoboth Seafood (302) 227-3551 20238 Coastal Highway, Rehoboth, DE 19971 Retail/Wholesale: Shellfish/Finfish 8. Bluecoast Seafood Grill & Fish Market (302) 537-0100 Highway One North Bethany Beach, DE 19971 Retail/Restaurant: Shellfish/Finfish 9. Todd s Clams (302) 645-5252 17094 Sweetbriar Rd. Lewes, DE 19958 Wholesale: clams 10. Townsend Seafood (302) 539-4344 3558 Lizard Hill Rd. Frankford, DE 19945
Kent County (30 111 11. Boondocks Restaurant Package Store & Gifts (302) 653-6962 Lighthouse Road, Between Routes 6 & 9, East of Smyrna, DE Restaurant/Retail: steamed crabs, clams, shrimp, seafood 12. Crab Connection (302) 672-9310 11 Main Street Little Creek, DE 19961 Retail/Bait: Live or steamed seafood; peelers, worms, squid 13. DelBay Seafood (302) 335-5110 Bowers Beach Retail/Wholesale: Fresh and frozen fish and shellfish 14. Eastern Shore Seafood (302) 653-5294 2626 South DuPont Blvd. Route 13 Smyrna, DE 19977 Retail/Wholesale: crabs, clams, and more. 16. Moore s Seafood Outlet (302) 678-1025 2167 Bayside Drive Dover, DE 19119 Retail/Wholesale: hard/soft crabs, shrimp, clams, crabcakes, fish, scallops 17. Ocean Fresh Seafood Inc. (302) 398-3874 17629 South DuPont Highway Harrington, DE 19952 Retail/Wholesale: fresh whole fish, crabs, shrimp, shellfish 18. Pleasanton s Seafood (302) 730-0744 6738 N. Dupont Highway Dover, DE 19901 Retail: crabs, finfish, shellfish 19. Sambo s Tavern (302) 674-9724 283 Front Street Leipsic, DE 19901 Tavern: crabs, clams, oysters, seafood 15. Frenchie s Docks (302) 335-4933 101 Church Street Frederica, DE 19946 Wholesale: crabs, rockfish, bluefish, flounder, etc.
New Castle County 20. Crab 73 (302) 378-8373 1091 Taylors Bridge Rd. Townsend, DE 19734 Retail/Wholesale: hard crabs, softshell crabs, peelers 21. Dawson s Sea Food, Inc. (302) 658-4238 821 Madison St. Wilmington, DE 19899 Retail/Wholesale: fresh and frozen finfish and shellfish 22. Feby s Fishery (302) 998-9496 3701 Lancaster Pike Wilmington, DE 19805 23. Lawrence Foley (302) 378-9644 625 Silver Run Road Middletown, DE 19709 Retail/Wholesale: oysters, crabs 24. Port Penn Bait & Tackle (302) 834-7807 Port Penn, DE 19731 Retail/Wholesale: crabs, oysters 25. Wiso s Crabs and Seafood www.wisocrabs.com (302) 836-0224 101 5 th Street, Rt. 9 Delaware City, DE 19706 Restaurant/Retail: crabs, clams, shrimp, frozen products, specials Delaware Fresh Seafood
Tips for Selecting Fresh Seafood Fresh fish should not smell fishy. Examine the fish: the skin should be shiny, moist, and supple, the eye should be clear and bright, the gills should be red, and the flesh should be firm. Make sure that fish and shellfish have been appropriately refrigerated. Look around the shop, is it clean and well-kept? Seafood requires proper handling; only buy from establishments that look like they can provide it. Shellfish should have shells that are tightly closed, and whole. Your vendor should be happy to answer questions and make recommendations. Ask them where the fish came from, how to keep it until you are ready to use it, and even how to cook it.
Local seafood species, with peak availability noted, by month. Please note however, actual availability may vary, due to seasonal fluctuations and regulations. Jan. Feb. March April May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Bluefish X X X X X X X X X X Flounder X X X Perch X X X X X Shad X X Shark X X X Spot X X X Rockfish X X X X X X Weakfish X X X X X X X X Crabs X X X X X Oyster X X X X X X Clams X X X X X X X X X X X X Lobster X X X X X X X X X X X X Tautog X X X X X Croaker X X X X X X Kingfish X X X X X X Scallop X X X X X X X X X Black Sea Bass X X X X X X X X X
Enjoy Delaware Fresh Seafood! Seafood dealers and harvesters listed on a voluntary basis. Included in the list are dealers that buy directly from licensed commercial harvesters in the state of Delaware. This listing does not imply that any seafood market not listed in this booklet, or not buying directly from a Delaware harvester does not, in fact, have fresh seafood. This booklet is not intended as an endorsement of any person or market listed herein, and consumers are urged to use their own judgment when choosing seafood and consuming it. Any market or harvester that is not listed, but wishes to be included in future editions, please call the fisheries office in Little Creek, DE (302) 739-4782 for more information. This document was printed in cooperation with the Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistical Program (ACCSP). ACCSP is a state-federal partnership for Atlantic coastal fisheries data collection and management. For more information please visit www.accsp.org. All images in this document are copyright of DNREC, Division of Fish and Wildlife.