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An e-magazine about our fishing community --
who we are, how we fish and our connection to the sea
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Despite hurdles, young fishermen stay on Cape | |
As soon as he was old enough to ride a bicycle around Barnstable, Connor Rogan was fishing. After he got his driver’s license it was easier and he started working on charter boats when he was 16.
“Once I started making money at it I was like, ‘Wow, this is perfect,’” he said.
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Tuna will migrate through wind farms - will it matter? | |
The waters off the Cape have long been a popular spot for tuna, marlin and sharks, as well as the fishermen that chase them. Recently, those waters have proved to be sought-after for wind energy companies as well, and it’s unclear what that means for the fisheries.
“If you put in hundreds of turbines, what is the cumulative impact?”
Photo courtesy of Mark Leach
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Ecosystem Armageddon: Can We Prevent it ? | |
Temperatures are increasing, sea levels rising. Ocean currents are unpredictable and marine heatwaves bring us to a climate tipping point. Hurricanes follow hard on the heels of one another, creating temporary dead zones.
Estuarine nurseries are shadows, choked by sea level rise, coastal population growth, armoring the coast, and marsh die offs. Productivity plummets and poisonous plankton blooms proliferate.
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Crockett recalls Chatham in the 60s | |
Bill Crockett wasn’t a bad kid, just mischievous, no fan of school, so he walked away from Fork Union Military Academy when he was 16.
“I read all the wrong books,” he said, like “On the Road,” the anti-establishment, counter-culture novel by Jack Kerouac.
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Our Ports' Summer Personalities | |
“Summertime and the livin' is easy
Fish are jumpin' and the cotton is high.”
Most everybody knows those lyrics from George Gershwin, just like most everyone loves the summer. For commercial fishermen summer is far from easy – although the fish may be jumping. Demand is high for local seafood, but so is demand for space at busy ramps, landings and piers.
We visited several ports across the Cape to give readers a glimpse of the Cape’s harbors at the height of the season and to remind everyone that after the seal tours and recreational boaters are gone this winter, commercial fishermen will still be defining the working waterfront.
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By John Pappalardo
One of our great, fun community successes in recent years has been regular “Meet the Fleet” events, when we pull together fishermen and chefs to share the experience of being on the water, offer insights into different species landed locally, and present a creative transformation of work and fish into beautiful cuisine.
That got me to thinking:
How about we grow the concept, and create a second ongoing series that tries to do similar things but this time with amazing people who explore the biggest ideas of the ocean world, and how they apply to our small corner of it? Put Cape Cod and the fisheries into scientific context, this time with plates full of ideas?
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On the Horizon
We have lots of exciting stuff happening.
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On your marks, get set, go! The Asics Falmouth Road Race is next month and we are grateful to our team of #fishrunfalmouth runners: Cristi Altman, Ken Baughman, Alex Corcoran, Cordy Elkins, Monica Heuer, Brigid Krug, Carol Mackenzie, Kathryn Mandalakis, Heather Morin, Molly Ogren, Brendon Parker, Corey Sherman, Stephanie Sykes and Brian Tobin. We are more than halfway to our fundraising goal, you can support the team’s efforts here.
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Whether you reserved tickets to attend Hookers Ball XXI or plan to participate in the auction from home, check out the online silent auction and register to bid today. The silent auction will open August 1 and close on the evening of August 6.
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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?
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Ecosystem-Based Fishery Management (EBFM) offers a more holistic alternative to the usual single-species fishery management approach. The Fishermen’s Alliance is getting the word out about this initiative:
EBFM works to account for relationships between species and the overall capacity of an area by managing fishing through stock complexes (groups of fish species that play similar roles in the ecosystem) and gear-based management.
EBFM has the potential to increase sustainability and health for the environment as well as local communities and the fishing industry. Through this approach, fishermen could be granted greater adaptability to keep more of what they catch.
The New England Fishery Management Council is exploring the EBFM approach and has created a draft plan for Georges Bank. Anyone interested in learning more about the approach and the council’s progress can review the EBFM Committee’s webpage and attend upcoming workshops. Questions? Reach out to rachelb@capecodfishermen.org.
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On the Shore
This community thrives in large part because of a constellation of non-profit organizations and engaged businesses.
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A delicious and tasty six months lies ahead. The Massachusetts Seafood AmBASSador team, which includes Abby Rose of F/V Midnight Our scallops, will be sharing recipes and content to inspire people to eat and enjoy more Massachusetts Seafood. Earlier this month the MA Seafood AmBASSadors attended a training held at Red's Best on the Boston Fish Pier to learn about the importance of buying local, the huge diversity of seafood landed in MA, and the local fisheries that catch it. They also got to sample many of the species including scup, black sea bass, striped bass, tuna, scallops, and fluke. This program is supported by Massachusetts commercial fishermen, state Division of Marine Fisheries and Woods Hole Sea Grant.
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The Massachusetts Oyster Shell Project, Inc. is back for a second season and has added seven restaurants in Wellfleet. Once shucked and aged for one year, shells are spread around Wellfleet harbor by the town to create juvenile oyster habitat. Find out who is participating here.
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The more people cooking local seafood at home the better. F/V Isabel and Lilee is helping to make the experience even more enjoyable and delicious with free cooking classes on Zoom with Chef Michele Grillo. The next one is Aug. 3. Sign up here.
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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.
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Researchers wanted to see whether climate change has affected seafood offerings restaurants serve. It has. Read more in Wired. And remember to eat locally-caught fish.
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Commercial fishing is the original Blue Economy and as Orleans moves forward on its economic plan that seeks to “create sustainable year-round recreation opportunities and a thriving "blue economy”” townspeople should also foster the commercial fisheries, which are worth close to $3 million off the boat, before that figure is magnified by meals in restaurants and paying for shoreside services. Read more here.
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"I feel I’m educating people. It's a rewarding job,” Pier Host Kenny Eldredge said. Read more about our Pier Host program in the Cape Cod Times and visit the Chatham Fish Pier Wednesday through Friday 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
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