August 4, 2020 — Commercial fishermen and lobstermen in Massachusetts already “crippled” by the coronavirus pandemic say they fear a second wave in the fall would sink the industry.
“If there’s a shutdown then, it could be catastrophic,” said Joey Ciaramitaro, co-owner of Gloucester-based Captain Joe & Sons wholesale lobsters.
The state’s spring lockdown hurt local fishermen on two fronts: seafood-selling restaurants closed, and air travel nearly ground to a halt. Contrary to popular belief, most local fishermen and lobstermen don’t just sell their catch to tourist-flocked seafood restaurants and markets in New England.