Despite being based in a rural community and looking like a classic meat and fish shop, Marine Meat Market is no ordinary company. When you pass Marine Meat Market and see their deep-blue storefront covered with slogans and white trim, you don’t automatically think that they are an important supplier of provisions for the many freighters that come into Thunder Bay daily, yet they are.
Marine Meat Market, since it's opening in 1888, has made a considerable impression on the little town of Alpena, Mich. Their copious amounts of fish, roughly 100 pounds weekly, gives the small town a supply of great tasting fish and seafood. All of this fish comes from different areas spanning from the Great Lakes to Alaska. This wide swath allows them to sell “almost every type of fish possible” -Bradey Smith varying in the distinction of Halibut, Cod, and even Catfish - and from our own Great Lakes you can purchase whitefish and walleye. But being a full-service meat counter isn’t the only thing they do.
Originally the market was founded for the fishing boats that came into Thunder Bay but has transformed into a meat case and butcher shop and is now a full-service meat counter. Although being a reliable fish and meat vendor, they still are continuing to support freighters and fishing boats with provisions like meat, produce, dairy, and other general groceries. They service many of the working ships that come into Thunder Bay. This, according to co-owner Bradey Smith, becomes a difficult job as “you end up chasing boats around 24/7.” Marine Meat Market actually gets the part of its name “marine” from servicing these ships on the Great Lakes, not from the fish that they sell daily.
Four different generations have gone into this market starting with one Mr. Knuski and currently being co-owned by Bradey Smith and Jeffrey Sheppler. The two look for all kinds of fish and, according to Bradey, Marine Meat Market has the main purpose of "Servicing the public with the best fresh smoked meats and high-quality meat and seafood as well as the freighters on the Great Lakes.”
From working with these freighters and fishing companies, they do see many struggles in the Great Lakes. One being population decline. Bradey stated "You see a lot of decline of species like salmon and what not and dams play a role in that… and if you look out west a lot of the canneries and the commercial fishing [along these ocean coastlines] has put a lot of big impact on the population of many fish." Seeing the impact humans have on these fisheries and more they try and be sustainable with the fish they sell.
On the whole, Marine Meat Market is no ordinary meat and fish shop. They provide freighters and fishing boats coming into Thunder Bay from all over the Great Lakes with the provisions needed to make it through their trip. They also are a great local full-service meat counter holding many different types of fresh fish, meat, and smoked meat. If you want to visit an amazing shop filled with kind people go to Marine Meat Market. You will always be happy with your trip, the fish you receive, and the markets' intriguing stories.