Monkfish makes the menu, thanks in part to fishermen-funded science
There was a time not long ago when fishermen tried to get rid of big-jawed, sharp-toothed prehistoric-looking monkfish by kicking them out the scuppers. Now they steam 100 miles in often ugly weather to find them, bringing up thousands of pounds in weighted gillnets. “It makes up a fair part of my year, about a third of my income,” said Nick Muto, captain of the Dawn T...
When Brewster’s Captains Roamed the Seas
With a coastline known today for its acres of tidal flats, Brewster nevertheless was the village of choice for sea captains during the clipper ship era. “The peak year of 1850 saw 50 clipper captains living in Brewster,” says Sally Cabot Gunning, With a coastline known today for its acres of tidal flats, Brewster nevertheless was the village of choice for sea captains during the clipper ship era...
Standing on the shoulders of the past, Sam Linnell looks to the future
When Tim Linnell bought his first fishing boat he brought his six-year-old son Sam up to Maine to pick it up. “He was climbing all over it,” Tim remembers, “throwing lines overboard.” Less than 20 years later, Sam brought his dad and another captain, Mark Liska, up to Gloucester to see the commercial vessel he was buying. “This is what I love to do...
Outsmarting ocean acidification
Although it was years ago, Dan Martino well remembers how hatcheries in the Pacific Northwest watched their shellfish seed die, ravaged by ocean acidification. “The shellfish basically dissolved in front of their eyes,” Martino says. “The ocean water had grown too acidic.” When Dan and his brother Greg got their oyster grant on Martha’s Vineyard in 2014, and became the first oyster farm in Oak Bluffs history, that memory became even more sinister...
Commercial fishermen from across the country share concerns, strategies
Commercial fishermen have lamented the lack of cod, an iconic fish challenged by everything from climate change to seals. Lately there is another concern: hobbyists. “Look at our cod fish, the recreational fishery was close to 300 percent over quota and there was no accountability,” says Tim Linnell, a long-time captain. The problem is not particular to the Cape...
The Three Harbors of Harwich
From a dusty racing track around a pond, a mill by a small river, and a marshy natural inlet, over the course of a century the town of Harwich crafted three important harbors opening to Nantucket Sound’s rich fishing grounds and sea routes. Allen, Wychmere and Saquatucket Harbors are strung along several miles of coastline in Harwich Port, and none of them originally offered full access to the Sound...
Cameras on deck
By John Pappalardo Cameras monitoring every fishing move -- isn’t that the very antithesis of what it means to be free and independent offshore? Believe me, I get it when people rail against what’s called EM, electronic monitoring, as some kind of Big Brother invasion of the fishery and its historic way of life. But I’ve become convinced that using cameras rather than humans to monitor our fleet not only is better and safer; it’s a crucial way to bring that celebrated way of life back to full health...
Ocean Farming Forum
Ocean Farming Forum is on Tuesday, Nov. 27 at 4 p.m. Learn about opportunities for offshore farming of oysters, bay scallops, mussels and sugar kelp in Massachusetts.
Shiverick’s ships: Wooden boats immortalized by stone
If you drive from Bridge Street in Dennis, crossing over Sesuit Creek and turning down a charming stretch of Sesuit Neck Road, you will find yourself at Sesuit Harbor, home to the town of Dennis’ docks, Northside Marina, and the popular Sesuit Harbor Cafe. Don’t be too intent on a pleasure cruise or lobster roll to miss a plaque embedded on a stone placed on the rise above the town marina’s parking lot...
