September 15, 2017 — WASHINGTON — A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration research project in the Northeast was recently conducted to test the efficiency of different sweep types of fishing nets.
The team targeted summer flounder from Long Island to Nantucket and red hake in the western Gulf of Maine off Cape Ann.
Preliminary results show that smaller fish were caught more often using a chain sweep.
August 9, 2017 — Angela Sanfilippo, president of the Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Association, will be the guest of honor at the Sea to Supper Celebration at 6 p.m. Aug. 24 at the Mile Marker One Restaurant & Bar, 75 Essex St., in the Cape Ann Marina Resort.
The Sea to Supper Celebration will feature local, fresh seafood specially prepared for the occasion by Todd Snopkowski of Snapchef, wines, oral tributes and displays on Cape Ann fishermen and more.
Tickets cost $75, and may be obtained by calling 978-821-1590 or visiting http://bit.ly/2v0HBdj.
Proceeds benefit nonprofit Fishing Partnership Support Services, which Sanfilippo helped found in the late ’90s, and on whose board of directors she has served ever since. Fishing Partnership Support Services helps commercial fishermen and their families through a variety of free services — from safety trainings, to health coverage enrollment assistance, to disaster relief support.
While honoring Sanfilippo, the Sea to Supper Celebration will also highlight the contributions commercial fishermen have made to coastal communities and to the health of seafood consumers, according to J.J. Bartlett, president of Fishing Partnership Support Services.
June 7, 2017 — Frank Ragusa is making a point, leaning forward in his chair and punctuating each sentence by banging his hand on the conference table, producing thumps so loud they later sound like explosions on the recording of the conversation.
In between bursts of percussion, the chief executive officer and partner in Gloucester’s Finest Seafood makes the same impassioned point he has been making since he returned to Cape Ann two years ago from Seattle as the director of fresh seafood at Gloucester Seafood Processing.
The point is this: The Gloucester story still plays in the farthest reaches of the nation. The saga of America’s oldest commercial fishing port, of slicker-clad, fishermen wrestling fresh marine life out of the cold waters of the Atlantic, still strikes a chord.
Out there.
“Most of our biggest customers right now are outside New England,” Ragusa said while sitting in the conference room of the seafood processing company he founded last year as a tenant within the confines of the Cape Ann Seafood Exchange on Harbor Loop.
Rising from the ashes of GSP’s surreal closure last year by the Mazzetta Company, Gloucester’s Finest Seafood is at the heart of Ragusa’s crusade to help breathe new life into America’s oldest fishing community by promoting its bounty of freshly harvested seafood.
May 17, 2017 — Interstate regulators approved a host of new rules in the Atlantic herring fishery in an attempt to avoid another bait shortage like the one that befell the lobster industry last year.
Herring are the most important bait for the lobster fishery, which is based in New England. Herring was frequently expensive and scarce last summer, especially north of Cape Ann, and the shortage sent ripples through the lobster supply chain.
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission approved new rules last week. The commission says the rules are intended to stabilize the rate of catch in the near-shore area of the Gulf of Maine, a critical fishing area for herring boats.
Read the full story from the Associated Press at the Gloucester Times
January 16, 2017 — There’s a whole, wide world of fishing and maritime stories taking place outside the realm of Cape Ann and New England, stuff that doesn’t necessarily merit full stories here in the Gloucester Daily Times, but still is worth knowing.
And that brings us to FishOn, a new weekly roundup column that will feature fishing-related briefs and items from around the globe, as well as serving as a forum for advancing important public meetings and events related to commercial and recreational fishing.
The column is scheduled to run in print and online on Mondays and public submissions are welcome. The column is strictly for the purposes of entertainment and information. So, no wagering.
Slow down, enjoy the spawning
You think it’s easy being a salmon? Think it’s all just swimming around, searching for a little nosh and nookie? Well, think again.
In a study produced at Sweden’s Umea University, researchers claim that human anti-depressants that make their way into salmon habitats are having a debilitating effect on young Atlantic salmon.
October 31st, 2016 — Fishing managers will reach out to the members of the fishing industry before seeking public comment on a proposal to rebuild the southern New England lobster population, an interstate panel has decided.
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission determined Thursday it was best to take the additional step before possibly releasing the plan to the public in February. The commission has been working on fishing management measures to preserve the lobsters.
Scientists have said southern New England lobsters are in decline while the species is thriving north of Cape Ann and off the coast of Maine. They have cited factors such as warmer temperatures in some ocean waters.
Lobsters remain readily available to consumers in New England and elsewhere despite the drop.
Management measures detailed in the proposal include strategies such as seasonal closures, reducing the number of lobster traps and changes to the minimum and maximum harvesting sizes of lobsters. How significant the changes will be would be determined at a later date.
Read the full story from the Associated Press at the Gloucester Times
September 9, 2016 — It’s now been more than three years since David Wittkower, struck by the spiraling decay of the Gloucester groundfishing fleet, decided to make a film chronicling its decline from the robust fleet he remembered as a kid growing up in Rockport.
The making of Wittkower’s film “Dead in the Water,” as with nearly every film project ever devised, has been an arduous slog through an endless array of creative decisions and more earthly problems — chief among them how to raise enough money to create the film the Los Angeles-based director first envisioned.
Now, with the assistance of the Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Association and generous benefactors throughout Cape Ann, Wittkower is closing in on having enough capital to finish the film and assemble a working print, possibly by as early as Thanksgiving.
To do that, though, he still needs— what else? — more money.
“The fundraising by the Fishermen’s Wives Association has been an incredible benefit, affording me the chance to work on making the film 24/7 instead of having to run around trying to raise money,” Wittkower said. “The fundraising has been very, very important.”
August 26, 2016 — The following was released by Maritime Gloucester:
This year’s Gloucester Schooner Festival will set a record for number of schooners participating. Twenty five schooners will descend on Cape Ann to participate in the 32nd annual Festival.
In the large schooner category, Columbia returns to defend her title as fastest schooner in the fleet, while Adventure, Roseway, Lettie Howard, American Eagle and Liberty Clipper will attempt to dethrone last year’s champion. Adventure is particularly excited about this year’s race as it seeks to celebrate its 90th birthday with a win on Sunday.
We welcome five schooners that have not been here before, or have not been here in some time. These vessels include Ishmael, Principles and Tree of Life in the mid-sized schooner category, and Ishtar and Malabar II in the small schooner category. A complete list of participating schooners is included with this press release.
“This is my favorite weekend of the year,” says Tom Ellis, long-time schooner captain and one of the patriarchs of the local schooner community.
The celebrations begin Friday evening. The City will be hosting a Block Party on Main Street and Maritime Gloucester, host of the Schooner Festival, will host its annual Gala, Evening Under the Spars at Gloucester’s new Beauport Hotel (sold out).
Festivities on Saturday start at 10:00 am on Harbor Loop under the First Ipswich Pavilion Tent at Maritime Gloucester. Maritime Heritage day celebrates our fishing and schooner heritage with an array of organizations offering interactive exhibits as well as local vendors and artists who will be in attendance. Heritage day is fun for all ages and is a great way to kick off Schooner Festival Weekend. Maritime Gloucester’s museum will be open free of charge throughout the day. Schooners will be located around the Harbor and information about the schooners and their locations will be available at Heritage Day. For example, the Schooner Adventure will be located at the State Fish Pier and will be open for deck tours.
Additional Saturday activities include a lobster bake at the Gloucester House Restaurant followed by the Boat “Parade of Lights” which kicks off at 7:30pm and Fireworks over Gloucester Harbor around 9:15pm
Sunday’s Parade of Sail Kicks off at 10:30 am, proceeding from Gloucester’s Inner Harbor past Stacy Boulevard to the starting area of the Mayor’s Race on Eastern Point. Key viewing areas include the Boulevard and Stage Fort Park. The Mayor’s Race starts at 1:00pm. The race is a remembrance of the rekindling of the schooner race of the 1920’s off the coast of Halifax, Nova Scotia between the Canadian Schooner Delawanna and the U.S. Schooner Esperanto. A press boat is available for a limited number of photographers.
Lead sponsors of the Festival include: First Ipswich Bank, the City of Gloucester, Market Basket and Institution for Savings. For a full list of sponsors, go to the Schooner Festival website. The Festival raises much needed funds from the community by offering a raffle in addition to corporate underwriting support. Please purchase raffle tickets at Maritime Gloucester or during Maritime Heritage Day.
August 22, 2016 — While it may have been the three-hour tour described in the “Gilligan’s Island” theme song, it was a happier ending for 34 passengers touring the seas around Cape Ann.
The Coast Guard says the captain of the 37-foot Cape Ann Harbor Cruise boat King Eider began issuing mayday calls shortly after 4:30 p.m. Saturday after the vessel began taking on water at the rate of 5 gallons per minute. The boat was in the area of Brace Cove, outside of Gloucester Harbor.
“I heard the mayday call for a boat with 34 passengers and I thought, ‘This ain’t good,’” said Capt. Kevin Twombly of the Lisa & Jake, based out of the Cape Ann’s Marina Resort. Twombly was returning from a chartered trip fishing for haddock and cod with a “couple of folks” and was coming around the Back Shore when he heard the call.
“I just went in there, and when I saw what the situation was, I just hooked ’em up,” he said.
The Lisa & Jake, a 40-foot charter fishing vessel, was the first on scene at 4:40 p.m., followed by a Coast Guard motor life boat crew from Station Gloucester and two boats from the Gloucester Harbormaster’s Office, the Coast Guard said. Boats from the Massachusetts State Police and Gloucester Police Department also assisted.
August 19, 2016 — The following was released by the Marine Stewardship Council:
GLOUCESTER, Mass. — To prove that their Acadian redfish, haddock and pollock fisheries meet rigorous sustainability requirements, Gloucester-based Sustainable Groundfish Association, Inc. (SGA) has achieved certification to the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Fisheries Standard. This science-based standard is the world’s most credible and recognized standard for environmentally sustainable wild-caught seafood.
Kristian Kristensen of Cape Ann Seafood Exchange, a member of SGA, said: “MSC certification allows consumers to buy New England redfish, haddock and pollock with the confidence that the fisheries will continue to be operated and managed in a sustainable manner. We are committed to preserving a way of life for commercial fishermen and their families while minimizing ecosystem impact to insure these fisheries are sustainable for generations to come.”
Acadian redfish, haddock and pollock are all lesser known fish species that New England fishermen have turned to as economically viable and sustainable alternatives. The total combined commercial harvest for these fish, which are caught in the waters of the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank, was valued at more than $21 million in 2013. The redfish and pollock fisheries currently harvest less than half of their annual quotas.
Brian Perkins, MSC regional director – Americas, said: “The MSC’s vision is for oceans to be teeming with life for future generations. We are extremely pleased to see the US Acadian redfish, haddock and pollock fishery succeed in the MSC process and we hope to be their partner in creating and maintaining new markets.”
New England benefits from a concentration of certified sustainable fisheries. However, consumer awareness of the abundant sustainable seafood offerings from area sellers remains low. To address this, the MSC recently launched a campaign to educate New England consumers about identifying sustainable seafood products. MSC will take its “Good Catch!” campaign and promo video directly to consumers this month with events at Whole Foods and Big Y grocery stores, which feature MSC at their fresh fish counters, in greater Boston, Springfield and Great Barrington, as well as at Green Fest and the Quincy Farmers Market.
The independent assessment of the Acadian redfish, haddock and pollock fisheries was conducted by SAI Global Assurance Services, an accredited third-party conformity assessment body. SAI Global Assurance Services assembled a team of fishery science and policy experts to evaluate the fishery according to the three principles of the MSC Fisheries Standard: the health of the stock; the impact of fishing on the marine environment; and the management of the fishery. The MSC process is open to stakeholders and all results are peer reviewed.