Rachel Barrales was in middle school when she first saw the Keeling Curve at Scripps Institute of Oceanography in San Diego, which shows carbon dioxide levels in the environment increasing to nosebleed heights.
“They have that huge graph on the wall. It stuck with me,” she said.
Chef Lisa Whelan of Dancing Spoons Catering stood before a crowd of about 70 people, bottles of honey, ginger, and apple cider vinegar arrayed before her and a thick piece of cornmeal-encrusted fish browning on the burner.
“This is a good substitute for cod – flaky, white,” said Whelan as she readied a fillet of hake for its bed of broccoli slaw atop a cookie-sized fajita.
The romantic view of Cape Cod has always involved fishing and the waterfront. The hard economic view, however, often pits commercial fishing against other interests. Waterfront development, recreational fishing, tourist boating, indeed the general trend toward a suburban peninsula, all move against the grain of the small rural world which relies on the water and the fishermen who farm the water.
Is the “fishing industry” a thing of the past? How much does commercial fishing really add to the Cape’s present economy?
When people think of the top industries in the state, commercial fishing doesn’t always come to mind. It should.
The industry is a huge economic engine, and as you will see in these slides from the state Division of Marine Fisheries, it is becoming more of a powerhouse. As you look through the charts, and read the related Over the Bar, you will see how the fisheries have changed as some seafood, scallops for example, is more in demand - causing prices to rise.
The success of the state’s fisheries isn’t about the success of one or two species this year or next, it’s about how local fishermen adapt to a changing ocean and how residents of Massachusetts continue to value the fish off our shores.
The latest stats about the state of our fishery have just emerged from the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, covering landings across the Commonwealth for 2021, built off meticulous reports the agency requires all commercial fishermen to file so by far the best snapshot we have of what’s happening out there.
It kind of blows me away.
The “ex-vessel” price is probably the most important of the economic indicators. This is the amount of money that fishermen are paid for what they land, direct return for work offshore, figuratively cash plunked on deck. This number is only the beginning as far as impact on our economy, not factoring in how the catch moves into restaurants, wholesalers and retailers, supporting many more jobs and industries, but it’s a real good baseline.
In 2021, the ex-vessel value of all fish landed in Massachusetts ports was – drumroll please -- $802 million, rounded off.
In 2020, the ex-vessel value of all fish landed in Massachusetts ports was – drumroll please -- $558 million.
A very big figure to begin with increased by another $244 million in one year, more than 44 percent.
Two fisheries continue to dominate:
Scallops accounted for 64 percent of that value in 2021, 56 percent in 2020.
Lobsters accounted for 15 percent of that value in 2021, 14 percent in 2020.
Taken together, that’s 79 percent of the 2021 total.
In both cases, the number of pounds landed from year to year wasn’t that much different; scallop was in the 450-480 million pound range, lobsters around 17 million pounds. So the big ex-vessel jump has to do with price per pound. All of us who buy fish at the market have seen big increases, especially for lobster; the piece of that going directly to the fishermen is not all of it by a long stretch, but certainly noticeable.
The suite of historic “groundfish” like cod, haddock, pollock, hake, flounder and others, once the penultimate targets for New England fishermen, have become second tier. Altogether they accounted for about $37 million in ex-vessel value in 2021, garnered off 37 million pounds. In 2020, it was $38 million made off 45 million landed pounds, so again the average value per pound is up. But remember, this is for all those species combined, though doesn’t include skate, dogfish, or monkfish, three species that our local fleet brings home in abundance.
Take home: The industry keeps shifting – as always.
The other strong individual performer is oysters. In 2021, landed value (more off the truck than the deck in this case) was $28 million on 10 million pounds. In 2020, it was $18 million off 6 million harvested pounds. That $10 million boost is explained by a strong growing year but also a rebounding market after COVID slammed the oyster world, restaurants finally re-opening and getting those half-shells on the plate.
I keep circling back to the initial, whole-industry ex-vessel figure: $802,389,629 to be exact.
By any measure that is a huge number with major rippling effects across Massachusetts. Most of that stays in the state and circulates, creating what the economists call multiplier effects. How that compares to other industries both in our state and across the country, whether that be sectors of the economy or other agricultural and food producers, is something I’m intrigued with and hope we can report, in good context, in next month’s issue.
Meanwhile, remember that this eye-popping total is what’s known as a “topline” number, meaning a gross sales report. It says nothing about the real costs of creating this value, how much of it sticks and reaches the pockets of individual captains and crew. As we all know, inflation is eating into that margin in big ways; for fishermen, fuel costs especially are making each trip a much bigger investment and gamble. So higher values do not necessarily mean higher returns.
But all the caveats and qualifiers in the world don’t change a key fact proven yet again:
The Massachusetts commercial fishing industry remains among the most important and underappreciated elements of our otherwise high-tech, higher-ed, healthcare, and tourist economy. It gets little of the play and profile of those, little comparable support in the form of programs and tax dollars. That’s generally OK; fishermen as a group don’t angle for those kinds of things, don’t expect them and prefer to standalone or apart anyway.
But it is worth noting for those times along the way, whether it’s at town meetings, the State House, or the halls of Congress, when we talk about priorities, debating where public investments can do the most good.
The numbers argue for themselves. Stand by for more intriguing detail and context next month.
Fun and fishy gifts for Father’s Day. There is still time to order and get items delivered (or pick up at office) in time for Father’s Day. Visit our online store for interesting gifts – we have baseball hats, shirts, hoodies, Yeti tumblers and more!
The iconic Falmouth Road Race is now just three months away and we are excited to announce our team of #fishrunfalmouth runners: Cristi Altman, Ken Baughman, Alex Corcoran, Cordy Elkins, Monica Heuer, Brigid Krug, Kathryn Mandalakis, Heather Morin, Molly Ogren, Brendon Parker, Corey Sherman, Stephanie Sykes and Brian Tobin. We are grateful for their commitment and fundraising efforts! You can support #fishrunfalmouth here.
We are grateful for everyone who recently joined us at our first Meet the Fleet of 2022. Thank you to our friends at Quahog Republic and Chatham Bars Inn for the refreshments and to Chef Lisa Whelan of Dancing Spoons Chef Services for the delicious hake tacos. Thank you to our guest fisherman - Pier Host Mike Anderson, for sharing his fishing knowledge. The next Meet the Fleet will be Wednesday, June 22 at Fishermen's Pantry in Falmouth. Check our website for further details and tickets sales soon!
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?
Let the measurements and data collection begin. The Fishermen’s Alliance received a “Research Set Aside” award and will partner with local fishermen on work designed to help improve the scallop fishery, including sea scallop growth potential. RSA awards do not use federal funds;the program funds research by awarding pounds of sea scallop quota from amounts “set aside” annually for this purpose, so is funded by the industry itself. Scallops have become a success story for commercial fishermen, including the small-boat fleet from ports across the Cape, in large part because good research drives sustainability. Residents have also benefited from fresh, day-boat scallops sold right at the dock.
On the Shore
This community thrives in large part because of a constellation of non-profit organizations and engaged businesses.
A shout-out to the town of Barnstable for hosting its 18th annual free shellfishing classes for kids on June 18 and 19.Read morehere.
Technical high schools on the Cape have been getting a lot of attention for fabulous restaurants and culinary programs. Maybe we can follow in the fish steps of New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center which was recently awarded a $25,000 grant from the Division of Marine Fisheries’ (DMF) Seafood Marketing Program. The Center’s project, A School of Fish: Infusing Sustainable Seafood into Culinary Arts Programs & the Public Palate, will support a year-long partnership with culinary arts programs at Greater New Bedford Regional-Vocational Technical High School and Bristol Community College.
Summer is here and if you plan to celebrate, and we do, head to Luke’s Liquors and pick up some of Quahog Republic’s golden ale. Look for our logo on the side, the company takes its motto “Live, Give, Relax” seriously, including part two, and has been a supporter of ours for several years now.
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 Fishermen’s Alliance has received a Saltonstall-Kennedy grant, named after the two United States Senators who helped create this ongoing fisheries support, to improve and broaden the Meet the Fleet program. The federal grant program is being reformed in a positive way as well; in 2021 only $11 million of close to $180 million was used for fisheries marketing, research, and development. Read more here.
"Massachusetts seafood is so much more than just another meal option. It represents a proud cultural touchstone and a stable job. Our waters and coastal towns have helped support and feed generations of families. As Massachusetts seafood workers recover from years of struggle, now is the time to invest in their success.”Legislators in Washington are being urged by the Massachusetts seafood industry to fund a nationwide marketing campaign showcasing seafood. Read more here.
Our Small Boats, Big Taste Haddock Chowder Program was highlighted in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s annual report to Congress. Small Boats, Big Impact. Read more here.
