Just after 9 a.m. on a warm March day, Dan Howes was in his barn sorting oysters taken off the grant that morning.
He had recently stopped going for bay scallops and his boat, Last Resort, would have a little time off while he concentrated on filling oyster orders through Memorial Day.
“This is my primary source of income, though I didn’t set out for that,” Howes said with a philosophical shrug as he sized and separated shellfish into baskets.
Andrew Cummings has had a successful shellfish farm in Wellfleet for 25 years, with room to grow, and has offered employees a salary of $54,000 to start, a yearly five-percent raise, and profit sharing.
Crickets.
“I can expand my business, but I don’t have the help,” Cummings said.
Cummings is not alone. When Stephanie Sykes, program and outreach coordinator at Fishermen’s Alliance, hears from commercial fishermen and shellfish farmers across the Cape, the inability to find employees is often top of mind.
“People said that having a pool of applicants is just as important as training opportunities,” Sykes said.
Paul Wittenstein, general manager of A.R.C., the shellfish hatchery in Dennis, sat on a stool on “Massachusetts Avenue,” backdropped by a booth full of information.
Aquaculture Resource Corporation was one of several Massachusetts companies in the state’s section at the North American Seafood Expo.
After a two-year, pandemic-fueled hiatus, the big seafood show was back in Boston for three days in March, smaller than in earlier years though still full of fish purveyors from all over the globe.
As Riverview Bait and Tackle in Yarmouth celebrates its 50th anniversary, owner Lee Boisvert says the secret to success has been the ability to evolve.
“Fifteen to 20 years ago there were 25 independent tackle shops on the Cape, now there is under half that,” Boisvert said.
The business started at a spot on the Dennis waterfront that also rented boats, moved to a lease across from Sundancer’s on Route 28, then to a purchased spot also on Route 28 stuffed to the gills with rods, reels, lures, hooks, knives and fishing gear galore.
Everyone knows the expression “you don’t know what you got ‘til it’s gone.” The Boston-based North American Seafood Expo, perennially the biggest fish expo in this country, is an example – though in this case it’s more like you don’t know how much you missed it until it’s back.
Returning earlier in March after two cancelled years, we were struck by how vital and impressive the seafood industry remains, how proud and dedicated its members are, and how much they have to show off. That was true even though the show was somewhat smaller than in its heydays, and a bit more skewed toward international operations (a long-time trend).
We were also grateful to meet new people from across the big pond known as the Atlantic who face some similar challenges, as well as spend time with many valued friends and partners.
Take a photographic spin through the day and note that even with a lot of international flavor, local fish had a great presence.
We took a body blow and setback a few weeks ago, in the form of a federal judge’s ruling.
The judge overturned a landmark decision from the New England Fishery Management Council to create a broad buffer zone along our coast to stop mid-water trawlers from wiping out herring and other forage fish close to shore.
As many of you know, we spent more than a decade fighting to protect our waters and river and ocean herring, in turn protecting the fisheries and stocks that depend on them, while helping revitalize our historic town herring runs.
We built unanimous support from every Cape Cod town, our county leadership, our elected representatives at the State House and in Washington.
The New England fishery council, comprised of members from Maine to Connecticut, voted with only one dissent to move forward with this crucial protection.
It was enacted, and fishermen already are reporting improvements in the vitality of local waters.
But Judge Leo T. Sorokin ignored all that. He overturned the closest thing you’ll ever see to consensus agreement in fishery policy, and he did so because of one issue, one idea he says was not sufficiently “proven”:
Localized depletion.
The concept of localized depletion is simple, something everyone who ever has ever fished sees and understands: Distinct areas, pounded by destructive gear and rapacious pressure, get fished out. They become barren until they are allowed to recover.
In hearing after hearing, year after year, the most respected fishermen up and down the coast testified that mid-water trawlers, with nets the size of football fields, misnamed because those nets can be 90 feet tall in 100 feet of water, catch and kill everything in their wakes. “Depletion” is a polite term.
But Judge Sorokin ruled that this obvious truth had not been proven. Instead, he ruled that “localized depletion” is an idea that does not justify creating public policy to stop it. Here’s his way of putting that:
“Though these comments (of New England fishermen) can certainly provide anecdotal support for the final rule, they are not an adequate substitute for scientific evidence of localized depletion and its link to MWT (mid-water trawl) vessels.”
This is maddening. Besides ignoring all the other issues raised about the destructiveness of mid-water trawls like gear conflicts, stock assessments proving that herring has been reduced to a tiny fraction of historic numbers, a ruling like this sends a clear message to fishermen:
Your testimony, your years of experience and knowledge, is nothing but “anecdote.” Unless you can somehow translate what you know to be true into “scientific” terms, identical baseline studies compared year after year, data in columns with variables removed, studies published in journals and bylined with a PhD after your name, then what you know doesn’t count.
This is outrageous, and confirms the worst fears of our community.
I’m urging everyone I can find in federal management, joined by allies who supported our effort, to appeal. There are ways to do that, to say that this one judge got it wrong, way wrong, and has no understanding of the oceans, our fishing community, or the devastating impact of his opinion. Stand by for more news on that.
In addition, there remains opportunity for those involved to offer alternative “remedies” to the obvious crisis at hand, the dramatic reduction of herring and other small forage fish in our waters.
Meanwhile, here’s an irony:
Because it has been proven that these mid-water trawlers exceeded the amount of fish they were allowed to land in a previous year, that “overage” is being applied this year as what they call “payback.” That amount combined with the latest stock assessments that once again showed decimated herring populations – though even that is not considered proof of the impact of this indiscriminate harvesting -- means that while Judge Sorokin’s ruling would allow them to scour our shores again, it’s highly unlikely we’ll see these trawlers anytime soon.
That’s a back-door, short-term victory at best. So we’ll keep fighting to encourage stocks to recover, revive our herring runs, and give hundreds, actually thousands of fishermen in small-boat fleets a fair chance. And as soon as we know the best way for you to help, you’ll know too.
Join us for the first of this year’s Meet the Fleets on Wednesday, April 27 at the Captain Harding House at 1566 Main St., Chatham. Come learn about, and, even better, taste, some hake! This delicious fish is plentiful in waters off the Cape and will be featured in a great dish prepared by Chef Lisa of Dancing Spoons. Enjoy light bites from Chatham Bars Inn, beer from Quahog Republic, and plenty of good company. Get your tickets now.
Pier to Plate, A Cape Cod Recipe Book - we have been promoting local seafood, highlighting underutilized (we prefer “underloved”) species that are plentiful in the Cape’s waters, connecting the community to the fishermen. This cookbook celebrates local seafood with recipes provided by local chefs. Cookbooks can be purchased in our online shop and are also available at a wholesale price for shops. Contact Brigid if you are interested in selling our cookbook.
Get the spring in your step and join our #fishrunfalmouth team! It’s the perfect time to start training for the Asics Falmouth Road Race on August 21. We have seven spaces remaining on our team; contact Brigid to reserve your place.
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?
Just as we wrapped up our “Young Fishermen’s Training Framework: A Future for Cape Cod Maritime Traditions,” meant as a blueprint for workforce development in the commercial fishing industry, we got good news at the national level. With our partners in the Fishing Communities Coalition, we applaud President Biden for signing the Fiscal Year 2022 Appropriations Omnibus Package, because the $1.5 trillion included crucial language encouraging the National Sea Grant Program under NOAA to prioritize the Young Fishermen’s Development Program. After more than five years of advocacy, FCC was successful in getting the YFDA passed. Now hopefully our fishing communities will have the means to grow and sustain the small-boat fisheries on Cape Cod.
“Commercial fishing has a rich history and vital place in our economy,” said Stephanie Sykes, Program and Outreach Coordinator for the Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen’s Alliance. “To continue this legacy, we must support the next generation through considerable barriers including complex regulations, high cost of entry, and fluctuating markets. The Young Fishermen’s Development Program will be instrumental for new and beginning fishermen navigating the industry.”
This community thrives in large part because of a constellation of non-profit organizations and engaged businesses.
With new opportunity coming from a major scientific research program we are looking forward to working with local scallopers on research that will benefit the industry. The Fishermen’s Alliance was one of six organizations to receive grant money from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to focus on scallop industry-related research priorities identified by the New England Fishery Management Council.
The state Division of Marine Fisheries is always working to get local seafood into the limelight. A new example is a Massachusetts Seafood Pavilion at the New England Food Show, highlighting Massachusetts fish-centric businesses. The show is being held at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center April 3 to 5.
George Pregot, of Brewster, recently published “Sea Captains of Cape Cod” that focuses on many famous and not so famous sea captains, navel heroes, fishermen and entrepreneurs. The book, available through Sunbury Press, tells the story of many famous fishermen, including George Baker of Wellfleet, who commanded fleets of vessels that put Wellfleet on the map as a fishing capital. According to Pregot, Baker’s favorite ship was the Maria Theresa, which was designed by John Mashow of Yarmouth, acknowledged as the most prominent fishing vessel architect of his day.
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.
For decades, Chatham has offered a storage area near the airport for fishermen to rent, $600 a year, so they don’t need to store gear in their yards -- which might irk neighbors. FAA regulations are prompting a move and we hope the town continues to support fishing traditions. Read more in the Cape Cod Chronicle.
We love that many more people are cooking local seafood at home, but we also encourage everyone to go out and support local restaurants by ordering tasty fish dinners. This story in Seafood Source talks about “pent-up” demand for eating out, that 98 percent of fine dining restaurants serve fish, selling seafood through e-commerce is thriving, and other market highlights.
“We’ve been taking steps over the past couple of years to make sure that the Commonwealth is a leader in the wind industry. However, I’m not insensitive to the fact that some of what we’re doing on wind and with renewables comes at the expense of one of our oldest professions, which is the fishing industry,” said Representative Ann-Margaret Ferrante of Gloucester in the State House Times. Read more about plans to use federal lease funds as mitigation.
