Leverman Corey Fleming was running controls on the Cod Fish II, and after he carved out each linear section he stuck his arm out the window and pointed. That was crew member Zach Tivey’s cue to maneuver his skiff and shift forward one of the 250-pound anchors so the dredge could move up to clear the next section of channel.
The dredge crew knows the area well. They open up the channel in Mashpee virtually every year so boats can get to Nantucket Sound on almost all tides.
Fishing groups from every coast, representing virtually every size and gear, gathered in early fall to talk about what matters to them: science, accountability and stewardship, core tenets championed by Seafood Harvesters of America.
Days later the Biden administration made a decision that seemed to sidestep an open, data-driven decision-making process for fisheries management, returning the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts to protected status.
Looking for the next generation of commercial fishermen
Captain Eric Hesse has spent a lot of time writing letters advocating for a sustainable bluefin tuna fishery as well as putting legwork into developing new markets for the fish he has harpooned for more than a quarter of a century.
But now there is another problem on the horizon, not regulations or lack of demand: crew.
High winds and bad weather can keep commercial boats off the water, which can wreak havoc on business plans and the food supply chain.
That same bad weather can cause permanent problems if the ways to the sea are blocked by shoaling sand. Living in fishing communities it is imperative we protect access to the ocean, which is threatened by Mother Nature, climate change, and sometimes by an onerous permitting process.
The success of our Blue Economy hinges on commercial fishermen getting to work, so we have begun working with towns and Barnstable County to see how we can safeguard these watery thoroughfares.
Check out this gallery to see a recent project and some past work.
My brother was in town for a visit and when we sat down at the kitchen table for a cup of coffee he asked me how things are going. I gave him the usual superficial stuff until he stopped me and said he meant it in a deeper way:
What’s going on for people in the fishing industry? Not the day to day, nuts and bolts I mentioned by rote: What’s the big-picture, broad-stroke look?
After a long sip, I found myself answering with a surprising little ditty that popped up seemingly out of nowhere. It was built on four W’s:
Windmills, whales, warming water.
In each case, it sure as hell looks like major changes are in the works, and each example reveals a lot about how different people react to change: Fight it? Accept it? Obstruct it? Channel it? Maybe even find ways to change the change?
Some thumbnail thoughts emerged:
Windmills: Offshore wind is happening, period. Our role now is to make sure developers and permitting agencies understand how these wind farms will impact our historic effort, build that understanding into rules and regulations that govern development, and provide opportunities and compensation to fishermen. There is going to be a lot of money circulating around these circulating turbines. We need to make sure a good chunk swirls to the industry most affected.
Just one example: Wind developers should be required to set aside millions per year to pay captains and crew on commercial vessels to host surveys of stocks and habitat, improving our science and regulations, getting fishermen into wheelhouses where they are without peer, supporting fed research teams. Some hiring has already begun; it should be multiplied.
Ideas like this, rather than jousting Don Quixote style, are where we should be focused.
Whales: We need to support people on the water who truly understand what goes on out there, who already have sacrificed big time to help protect whales and will continue to do so.
That means using them to get to best solutions, whatever they are, innovations that actually work and accomplish our goals.
That means engaging in the public process, sitting at the table through long and frustrating meetings of venues like the Take Reduction Team, among others.
That means participating in science and research to identify best ways to protect two endangered mammal species – right whales, and fishermen.
Extinction of either is not necessary, and not an option.
Warming waters: There can be no more serious argument, it’s happening and probably faster than we ever expected. So now what?
Good fishermen are nimble and creative, adapting to changing conditions as they always have. Maybe lobsters are deeper. Maybe black sea bass is a great new target. Maybe codfish aren’t altogether gone but instead farther east. Maybe halibut are making a comeback. Fishermen know, and will continue to hunt.
Our role is to help the management process keep pace and adapt to evolving ecosystems and living patterns, making rules that make sense for today and tomorrow, not yesterday. That’s in good part why we are putting so much emphasis on what the feds call “EBFM,”
Ecosystem Based Fisheries Management, a much more holistic way to think about the ocean and its resources. I’m chair of the EBFM committee for the New England Fisheries Management Council, and I intend to move this new concept as far and well as I can.
So it’s always good drinking a cup of coffee with my brother, but this one in particular clarified a lot of my thinking. Thanks, bro, stop by anytime.
Thank you to our esteemed list of 2021 Annual Sponsors – we are so grateful for the support! Chatham Candy Manor, Chatham Pier Fish Market, Cottage, Cape Cod 5, Fishermen’s Daughter, Gaynor’s Fine Consignments, Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty, Lighthouse Keepers, Nauset Marine, New England Sales Solutions, Our Shores to Your Doors, Rockland Trust Charitable Organization, Quahog Republic, Seaborne, UBS. And our 2021 In-kind Sponsors: ARC Shellfish Hatchery, Backside Bakes, Cape Cod Life Publications, Chatham Bars Inn, Chatham Fish & Lobster, Chatham Living by the Sea, Evolution Eyes, Goslings, Hog Island Beer Co., Mahi Gold, Mainsail Events & Marketing, Nauset Disposal, Tito’s Handmade Vodka.
The holiday season is just around the corner! Get your fishy gifts now for family and friends – choose from cookbooks (good for holiday cooking ideas), hoodies, Yeti tumblers, shirts, hats, tote bags, bracelets and more. Visit our shop.
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?
Our second fishermen’s training program is less than two weeks away. The session runs on Nov. 6 and 7 and includes safety training as well as a day with captains explaining various gear types and what to expect on the water. One thing to expect; an amazing work environment. Read more in our related articlehere. Sign up here.
On the Shore
This community thrives in large part because of a constellation of non-profit organizations and engaged businesses.
Ray Kane and others on the Atlantic Marine Fisheries Commission went to great lengths, including making sure the state of Virginia didn’t overfish, to protect the crucial forage fish menhaden. Kane, our outreach coordinator, also wrote a letter asking for greater protections for the fish from our organization. The efforts paid off. Read more here.
We are quite often impressed with the work state Division of Marine Fisheries does to promote local fish. This month is no different as they highlighted several local fishermen, including Chris Merl of the Isabel and Lilee to celebrate National Seafood Month. The month is winding down, but there is so much variety and good eating fish on the Cape that we all can be celebrating year-round here's a list of some local purveyors.
Lt. Gov. Karen Polito visited the Chatham Fish Pier earlier this month with members of the Seaport Economic Council. The group was given a tour of the economic and cultural hub by selectman and town staff. We thanked her for the work the administration has done in support of commercial fishermen – everything from funding dredging, to improving working waterfronts to bolstering scientific research. Polito was interested in the fisheries and impressed with economic impact of the port. And she bought clam chowder for lunch at the Chatham Pier Fish Market, perfect timing for National Seafood Month.
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.
“The fisherman is the iconic American hero. I think it’s something inherently important to realize that someone went out to the ocean and caught that fish you’re eating. It’s the last wild-caught food in the world and there’s a lot to it. It’s such a noble profession.” That quote is from Darby Duffin, a local filmmaker who released the documentary Fish and Men. Read more here.
Chatham is known as a place where commercial fishing is woven into the community fabric, moments like these call that into question.
Fishermen, more than anyone, feel the impacts of climate change. New work out of the Northeast Fisheries Science Center in Woods Hole shows how the plummet of the shrimp population in the Gulf of Maine may be linked to the rise of the long-finned squid population. Our CEO John Pappalardo said months ago that he would be interested to see how the increase of the squid played out, now we have one answer.
