Kelsie Linnell was spending 10 days in a row on a 75-foot boat, working during the day and pulling the 1 to 6 a.m. watch; when she did get on land it was for 24 hours at a time trying to pack in all she missed: seeing friends and family, going to the gym, going out to dinner, and grabbing a good cup of coffee.
When her stint working on a scout boat for Sea Services, contracted by Vineyard Wind, ended late last year she flew down to Disney World with her boyfriend. By January she was missing the routine.
“I’m actually tired of being on land. I’m ready to get back,” she said with a laugh. “I like being on the water. It is very calming for me. You feel like nothing can really get to you out there.”
Spread over 1,400 square miles in southern New England, five wind farms planned by different companies all must do studies to gauge their impacts.
One key issue is that commercial fishermen believe their legitimate concerns about how large fields of turbines will affect their livelihoods is being brushed off and overlooked.
“Our focus is how do we do good science, and how do we do good science to answer the questions that people have,” said Lyndie Hice-Dunton, who recently celebrated her two-year anniversary as executive director of Responsible Offshore Science Alliance, ROSA. “There is the potential to throw nets in the water and collect information, but it may not be answering the (real) questions.”
Here's an example of how wind farm executives and commercial fishermen see things differently:
A skate plan, an ecosystem update, fisheries protections in wind lease areas, criminal charges, and the fate of sea clammers were just a few of the items discussed by the New England Fishery Management Council in February – and that was just day one of a three-day meeting.
The regional council, one of eight established by federal legislation in 1976, is charged with conserving and managing fishery resources from three to 200 miles off the coasts of Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. The system was designed to give fishery managers flexibility to use local input to come up with plans that match each region’s unique challenges and opportunities.
Mitchell’s profound writing on commercial fishing; New York-based, Cape Cod-style
Once upon a time there was a writer named Joseph Mitchell.
Mitchell came to New York City from a small town in swamp country North Carolina in 1929, 22 years old. He worked as a reporter for a handful of big-city papers for eight years, then landed at The New Yorker magazine, where he wrote groundbreaking long-form stories that helped define that publication, earning him a legendary reputation that lingers to this day among people who care about journalism.
Mitchell loved to hang on the waterfront and wrote amazing, detailed renditions of fishermen and fishing. Places we no longer associate with their watery origins – Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island -- all were commercial fishing hubs akin to our fishing community.
So visiting Joseph Mitchell’s writing is a great way to appreciate the historic context in which our fleet still works.
The January issue of the emagazine showcased seven ports across the Cape, this photo gallery highlights the remaining eight (in alphabetical order.) Taken together the economic value of the peninsula's ports exceed the value of Gloucester, the second most valuable port in the state with an ex-vessel value of approximately $53 million, by more than $20 million. New Bedford holds the top spot.
The ports across the Cape have been a vibrant part of the economy for centuries and are worth far more than the numbers tell as they define the character of the Cape. With a number of challenges on the horizon – including escalating climate change, supply chain issues and gentrification – we joined the state Division of Marine Fisheries and Urban Harbors Institute at UMass Boston to draw attention to the individual strengths of each port . The full report here, points out some of the needs of each.
Turns out the Russian Navy was no match for Irish fishermen, and this small appreciation for what our counterparts on the other side of the Atlantic accomplished will suffice, at least for now, as congrats and thanks -- though a shared Guinness would be far better.
The Russians decided their navy needed more war games and drills, beginning February 1 in fertile fishing grounds off the southwest coast of Ireland. When the Irish government protested, the Russians basically said, “We’re doing it, and there’s no way you can stop us.”
In Dublin they threw up their hands, but the Irish South and West Fish Producers Organization decided to throw down the gauntlet. The group has been around since 1995, just a tad younger than our Alliance, and represents independent fishermen mainly chasing whitefish in boats that range from 40 to 95 feet, again comparable though generally bigger vessels than ours.
The head of their group is a fisherman named Patrick Murphy. Amazingly enough “Murphy,” harkening back to the Gaelic tongue, translates as “sea warrior.” Kid you not.
Anyway, when fishermen heard about the Russian plans in late January, it took little time for them to come up with a united response: “We’re not moving,” was how Murphy put it. With every right to go fishing in Irish waters, they fully intended to continue doing so and in numbers:
"When one boat needs to return to port, another will head out so there is a continuous presence on the water,” Murphy informed anyone who would listen. “If that is in proximity to where the [military] exercise is going, we are expecting that the Russian naval services abide by the anti-collision regulations."
It was brinksmanship for sure, but also what sophisticated strategists called “asymmetric deterrence.” A policy wonk publication called “Defense One” explained it this way:
“The Irishmen would clearly not have been able to sail to key Russian fishing waters to take revenge by harming fish there, and doing so would have at any rate been provocative. But they could go about their peaceful business in the Irish EEZ in such large numbers that the Russians would struggle to carry out their exercise."
The Russians backed down, to the surprise of many.
Their government spokesman called it “a gesture of goodwill,” but if the fishermen wouldn’t vacate, what option was there? Start ramming fishing boats in European waters?
“This is all we wanted,” Murphy told CNN. “Now we can give out the information to our boats: ‘Listen lads, out you go, fish away, no worries.’” And he was magnanimous: “Definitely people all over the world made this happen.”
Widespread support and publicity no doubt helped, but people all over the world really didn’t make this happen; Irish fishermen did.
The outpouring reminded me of something we often take for granted: Independent fishermen, from Cape Cod or Ireland, Alaska or Portugal, have public standing and credibility. Whenever fishermen take a principled position, the immediate instinct among people from every walk of life, and every country, is to support them. Historic appreciation and respect for small-boat fleets is universal.
So thanks to Patrick “Sea Warrior” Murphy and his extended Irish clan. Perhaps the day will come when we find a way to share stories, compare ports, and rub elbows across the Atlantic.
Meet the Fleet is back and we have four events planned this year, the first on Wednesday, April 27, 5 pm at the Captain Harding House in Chatham. Thank you to our exclusive Meet the Fleet sponsor for the 8th year in a row, Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty. Tickets will go on sale Wednesday, March 30 on our website, so be sure to reserve your space as it is expected to sell out. Meet the Fleet events bring together local chefs and fishermen with a presentation and tasting that will be sure to deepen your appreciation of local seafood.
Race to August! We are officially 6 months away from the Asics Falmouth Road Race on August 21. We are looking for eight more runners to join our team. Contact Brigid for details to reserve your place on the #fishrunfalmouth team.
Calling all local businesses: the Fishermen’s Alliance Sponsorship program is a great way to show your support. Our business sponsors and partners are recognized throughout the year through multi-channel marketing outlets including social media, website traffic, events, printed materials and word of mouth. There are a variety of ways to sponsor and benefits include complimentary or discounted tickets to Fishermen’s Alliance events. For more information and to discuss how we can tailor a package to meet your business needs, contact Jennifer@capecodfishermen.org.
On the Water
Ever wonder how a boat, or a fish, got its name? Want the word on what people are catching --- or how to cook it?
“Standing at this Chatham bluff alone, I thought about the Landry’s crew and of Archie-Elroy-Tiny and the others gone… We coastguardsmen tried and tried again … brought back 32 men ... then there was Joe Stapleton. You see, he made 33.”
Those words, spoken by the late Bernie Webber at his retirement from the Coast Guard, were meant to commemorate men he was able to save from the sea, and those lost.
In April of 1950, coastguardsmen were unable to get through the surf to reach the fishing dragger F/V William J. Landry, which went down with all hands.
On February 18, 1952, Webber and his crew went out on the CG36500, crossing the dangerous Chatham Bar, to rescue 32 of the 33 men aboard the Pendleton tanker.
Joe Stapleton was a local fisherman who flipped over on the bar in the winter of 1955 and was rescued by the Coast Guard.
On the 70th anniversary of the famous Pendleton rescue we want to recognize the work the Coast Guard has done over the years.
US Naval Institute Photo
On the Shore
This community thrives in large part because of a constellation of non-profit organizations and engaged businesses.
As a West Coast advocacy group gathers comments on whether to tell consumers not to eat New England lobster, we wanted to share that Massachusetts lobstermen have been working on the issues of concern for more than a decade and have made consistent, considerable changes. In addition to closing about 10,000 square miles for at least three months to protect the endangered North Atlantic right whale, local lobstermen tested and used weak ropes that stop entanglements well ahead of any requiring regulations. The fleet continues to make changes to protect the industry and the whales. Read more, and how to comment, here. The Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries has been a big part of lobstermen’s efforts and recently supplied weak rope, free of charge to fishermen who stopped by our office.
The Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries has been a big part of lobstermen’s efforts and recently supplied weak rope, free of charge to fishermen who stopped by our office.
As more and more projects of many kinds are planned for the ocean, knowing the potential damaging effects and how to mitigate or prevent them is essential. A recent project in Boston Harbor had an unintended consequence felt on the Cape and the Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies is calling on citizen scientists to see what went wrong. Find more here.
“I have four weather apps on my phone. I'm always trying to figure out the best way to predict the weather and know what I'm getting into,” said Captain Herman Coombs. Commercial fishing is much more than just catching fish. Our friends at Maine Coast Fishermen's Association did a good job of laying out what’s involved.
On the Hook
We do a lot of reading, searching through the wide world of fisheries, and often find intriguing pieces to share. In the old days, you might call this your clipping service.
We are one of a few commercial fishing groups across the nation working to train the next generation of fishermen. Joining those partners we worked hard to pass the federal Young Fishermen’s Development Act, which is in danger of not being funded as Congress has not passed a broader budget. Read more here and reach out to your Congressman to support funding the development of programs that create hands-on training opportunities for men and women interested in commercial fishing.
We know the power of commercial fishermen banding together to effect change, but hereis an example of “fish boat, rather than gunboat, diplomacy” in Ireland that generated headlines around the world. Our CEO John Pappalardo has some comments on this in his “Over the Bar” column this month as well.
All politics is local, the adage goes, and so is climate change. Changes in the ocean will have huge impacts on local fishing fleets and commercial fishermen have been working with scientists to learn as much as possible about how to address them. Read more here in The Cape Codder newspaper.
