MASSACHUSETTS ANGLING TO HIKE FISH SALES

BOSTON -- A new seafood marketing campaign here is promoting nontraditional, locally caught species of fish.

Force with a view to assisting the state's fishing industry, which is currently facing an economic crisis, according to a spokeswoman.

"Making a Splash" began June 25 and will run until at least Oct. 30, according to Lee Larkin, spokeswoman for the task force and president of Regan Larkin Communications, the firm that created the marketing program. Cape shark, whiting, red hake, mackerel and herring are supported by the campaign, which so far has accrued 100 retailers and restaurateurs as "Campaign Partners."

Stop & Shop, Bread & Circus, Demoulas Market Basket, Crosby's and Foodmaster are the retailers who have agreed to participate, said Stacy Luchka, an associate of Regan Larkin Communications, Boston, but not all of each chain's stores will be involved.

"We asked the supermarkets to pick between five and eight top seafood selling locations," Luchka told SN.

"We want to start with a small enough base so we can make sure to supply very high-quality fish. We didn't want to create so much demand that consumers would find that supermarkets had run out, or that the fish wasn't of the highest quality."

Retailers and restaurants will carry and promote at least one of the five above-named fish, which they will advertise as specials and supplement with take-one recipes displayed on seafood counters.

The recipes feature the various species as center-of-the plate items, such as pan-fried whiting with dill and scallions; baked hake in basil tomato sauce, stuffed with goat cheese; grilled mackerel over charcoal; tomato basil herring appetizer, and grilled cape shark kebobs.

Retailers will receive the recipes, as well as tent cards and in-ice signs.