Saving Seafood

Rockport Premiere Set for Film on ‘Relentless Destruction’ of Ground Fishing Industry

November 13, 2017 — The following was released by Fishing Partnership Support Services:

A documentary film dealing with the devastating impacts of federal regulations on the lives of New England ground fishermen will have its world premiere on the weekend before Thanksgiving on Cape Ann.

“Dead in the Water,” produced and directed by Rockport native and professional filmmaker David Wittkower, will be screened for the first time in public at the Rockport High School Auditorium on Saturday, Nov. 18, at 3:00 p.m.

The film was shot in different coastal towns and it features scenes and interviews with area fishermen, their spouses and other family members; advocates for fishermen; elected officials; and community activists.

“Dead in the Water” was two-and- a-half years in the making.

“This film opens the doors for the world to see how difficult and dangerous the life of a fisherman is,” said John Bell, a former three-term mayor of Gloucester (2002-08). “On top of that, the impact of misguided federal regulations on fishermen has never been presented as powerfully as it is in ‘Dead in the Water.’ This film packs a real punch. It stays with you long after you’ve seen it.”

Wittkower, a graduate of the American Film Institute who’s been living and working in Los Angeles since 1981, describes “Dead in the Water” as an examination of “the relentless destruction of the New England ground fishing industry through government regulations, bad science, and the growing, but
mistaken, belief that everything has been overfished and there aren’t any fish left in the oceans.”

The idea for the film came from a casual conversation he had on a sidewalk in Gloucester three years ago. “I was back in Rockport on a visit and I drove into Gloucester and noticed there were very few fishing boats in the harbor,” Wittkower said. “I asked someone, ‘Where’s the fleet?’ and he said, ‘What fleet? The fleet’s been dwindling for years, and this is what’s left.’ ”

He started asking more questions about the plight of the town’s fishermen and was soon directed to Angela Sanfilippo, the longtime president of the Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Association. Sanfilippo encouraged him when he raised the possibility of telling the story of the vanishing fleet of ground fishing boats and their crews on film. “I could see that David was sincerely interested in this topic,” said Sanfilippo, “and I quickly figured out he had the skills and track record to make a serious documentary on it, a film that could generate a lot of interest, here and elsewhere.”

The Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Association decided to help and support Wittkower as much as possible. “The first time I saw the rough cut of ‘Dead in the Water,’ I knew we had done the right thing,” said Sanfilippo. “This is something special.”

One of the many friends and professional colleagues of Sanfilippo who appears in “Dead in the Water” is J.J. Bartlett, president of Fishing Partnership Support Services. He notes that physicians who have studied the physical and emotional effects upon ground fishermen of the changes in the industry “have concluded that 87 percent of them are suffering from symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).”

Bartlett said, “When you watch ‘Dead in the Water,’ you’ll understand why that’s so. And you’ll leave the theater wanting to tell your friends, ‘You have to see this film.’ “Following the premiere in Rockport on Nov. 18, Wittkower is planning a tour where he will show the film in multiple locations and to a variety of audiences. That tour will begin in Massachusetts, with subsequent showings likely in Boston and New Bedford, and will extend to Maine and other coastal
states. Simultaneously, he will be trying for a nationwide showing by getting the film on HBO, Netflix or Amazon.

“Dead in the Water” is Wittkower’s fifteenth documentary film. He has won many awards for his work, including one from the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum for a film he did on Lane Frost, a famous rodeo bull rider who was accidentally killed at a riding event. He’s hoping now that “something better than an award” will come from his latest project. Said Wittkower, “I’m hoping to increase public support for U.S. fishermen. I want to help keep fishing jobs in this country. If ‘Dead in the Water’ can do that, I won’t need any more awards.”

The film was recently accepted into the Depth of Field International Film Festival competition under three categories: Documentary, Direction and Cinematography.

Rockport High School is located at 24 Jerdens Lane. Tickets to the premiere cost $20 apiece and may be purchased at the door or in advance by calling 978-282- 4847 or going to the Gloucester office of the Massachusetts Fishermen’s Partnership at 2 Blackburn Center. A portion of all of the proceeds from showing the film on Nov. 18 will go to the Fishermen and Families Fund at the Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Association.

A safety training exercise that every fisherman “needs to know”

October 16, 2017 — NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — Bob Scammon lived out the words of the medical training. Michael Oliveira experienced the man overboard training in reality.

Scammon, a commercial fishing captain for more than three decades, tried to help a man on board suffering from a heart attack aboard one of his vessels years ago. Oliveira woke up to the news that someone on board the Miss Shauna had fallen overboard in July.

In both situations, the crew dealt with death at sea.

“All that mayday stuff, that is very, very important how to do it,” Oliveira said. “Everything that we’ve learned today is definitely to our benefit. I do think every fisherman, everybody that’s a seaman, needs to know this stuff.”

The Fishing Partnership, a nonprofit organization geared toward improving the health and safety of fishermen, provided a safety training day at UMass Dartmouth SMAST on Friday. Safety experts offered tips and training on medical emergencies, man overboard, getting into a lifesuit and using it in the water, fire safety, damage control, life raft information and flare use.

“Fishing is the most dangerous job in the country,” J.J. Bartlett, president of the Fishing Partnership, said. “And New England’s waters are the deadliest in the country. Without programs like this fishermen wouldn’t have access to lifesaving safety training.”

Read the full story at the New-Bedford Standard Times

MASSACHUSETTS: Sanfilippo to be honored at Sea to Supper Celebration

August 17, 2017 — To Angela Sanfilippo, the glass is never half empty. Or half full. To Sanfillippo, the glass is always full. As president of the Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Association for the past 40 years, her unbounded optimism and energy has lit the way through the most troubled waters ever seen by the fishing industry of Gloucester and all of New England.

In 2012, during some of the darkest of those very dark days, she told a local audience, “We have 250 boats in our harbor and 198 of them are commercial fishing boats … and just last year when everyone thought the fishing industry was dead, what they brought into this port, into dock, was $60 million … people want us to think that the fishing industry is dead … the fishing industry is not dead.”

The feisty Sanfilippo — who noted in the same speech that Gloucester is the city of “Captains Courageous” — is widely considered to be the region’s most effective long-term advocate for commercial fishermen, and for this she will be honored at a dinner on Thursday, Aug. 24, at the Mile Marker One Restaurant & Bar.

The gala benefit, billed as the Sea to Supper Celebration, is one of three gala fundraisers commemorating the 20th anniversary of Fishing Partnership Support Services, a nonprofit Sanfilippo helped found in the late 1990s and on whose board she still serves.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Times

MASSACHUSETTS: Honors planned for Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Association president

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.

Read the full story at Wicked Local

Fishing Partnership Support Services: Pass a price on carbon to protect fisheries and livelihoods

July 31, 2017 — A few years ago, scientists, fishermen and fishing managers concluded that cod stocks were rebuilding off the coast of Massachusetts. This understanding led ground fishermen (those who catch cod and other groundfish) spanning coastal New England to invest their life savings into their fishing businesses.

Soon after, industry experts changed their tune, reporting that drastic changes were underway. With livelihoods and families on the line, cod stocks began collapsing, leaving thousands devastated both financially and mentally. Today, an astounding 87 percent of Massachusetts ground fishermen suffer from mild to severe PTSD after experiencing the financial consequences of the crash, according to a Northeastern University study.

The situation only worsens as fishermen resort to unsafe practices — going farther out to sea in subpar boats, downsizing crews, and working longer hours on insufficient sleep. It is no surprise that New England ground fisherman are 200 times more likely to die on the job than the average worker, and that fishermen have the highest suicide rates among U.S. workers.

With ocean temperatures in the Northeast increasing more rapidly than global averages, sea animal populations are already noticeably shifting. Populations of cod, lobster, sea bass, and many others are decreasing in size or migrating farther north. And in turn, food chains are altered and fishermen struggle to pay the bills.

From cod to fishermen to families, climate change has the power and potential to cause true devastation, and the time to act is now. In Massachusetts, we have the opportunity to confront this issue head-on and cut greenhouse gas emissions through carbon pricing legislation H.1726 and S.1821.

Read the full option piece at the New Bedford Standard-Times

New England Fishermen Put Down Their Bait for Day of Safety Training

June 6, 2017 — Commercial fishermen in Northern New England face their fair share of challenges. Along with declining fish stocks and tight catch regulations, the occupation also remains one of the most dangerous in the country.

With that ever-present risk in mind, dozens of fishermen turned out in New Castle, New Hampshire recently for a day-long safety training exercise.

“Yeah, I’ve been on boats that sunk, had to get overboard, and had to get in my survival suit, gone in the water in the wintertime. And so, I’ve been through it,” says John Emmerton, a fourth generation fisherman with fingers thick like sausages. “It’s pretty ‘hairy carey’ when you have to deal with it in reality. Never happens when it’s nice like today.”

Emmerton is usually found in the Gulf of Maine aboard the Angela Michelle, but today he and some of his crewmates are on dry land in New Castle for a free safety event put on by the non-profit Fishing Partnership Support Services.

“The ocean is a dangerous place,” says Ed Dennehy, training director for Fishing Partnership. “There are weather issues, there are equipment issues if you don’t care care of your boat, then you have flooding issues, or a fire. And when you are out in the ocean, you are your only person around to save yourself. There is no ambulance, there is no fire engine. So you need to know how to address those kinds of issues.”

While fishing boats are subject to routine inspections to ensure there are items such as flares and life rafts aboard, there is no real oversight over whether crew know how to use them properly.

Read the full story at New Hampshire Public Radio

Reality check for commercial fishermen

April 11, 2017 — Don’t put the injured on the raft first, they can slow down the evacuation.

Don’t stow survival suits below decks.

Don’t leave port without a Nerf football.

This was some of the wisdom imparted to a group of 35 commercial fishermen gathered at Coast Guard Station Menemsha on a gray, windy Thursday morning, where, appropriately, a storm front was bearing down on the Vineyard.

It was day one of two training days for commercial fishermen — along with sailors, harbormasters, and shellfish constables — provided by Burlington-based Fishing Partnership Support Services (FPSS).

The focus of the day one was safety and survival. Participants rotated among six training modules: man overboard procedure, firefighting and flares, survival suits, helicopter hoist operations, flooding and pump operations, first aid and CPR, and life raft equipment.

“Part of the success of this program is that it’s very hands-on,” Ed Dennehy, FPSS Director of Safety told The Times. “They will put out an actual fire. They will put on survival suits and get into the cold water. They control flooding and leaks in a simulator provided by the Coast Guard.”

FPSS has been providing this training all over New England, primarily in Massachusetts, for the past 11 years. The program has been so successful, it has spread beyond New England to New York.

Read the full story at the Martha’s Vineyard Times

MASSACHUSETTS: Group plans to promote commercial fishing

March 27, 2017 — In many ways, the upcoming year for the Fishing Partnership Support Services organization will be a journey back to its roots in Gloucester, where it all began in 1997.

The Gloucester-based fishing stakeholder, which provides a bevy of financial, medical, safety and other support services to fishermen and fishing families, is planning a yearlong marketing campaign to promote the economic, cultural and health benefits provided U.S. consumers by the commercial fishing industry.

J.J. Bartlett, FPSS executive director, laid out the pillars of the campaign in a quick presentation Thursday night to the Gloucester Fisheries Commission at City Hall.

Bartlett told commission members FPSS envisions the campaign as a vehicle for closing the gap between fishermen and consumers buying their fish, as well as a platform for uniting the industry in the face of the ever-growing appetite for sustainability and accountability.

“The connection between the people that do the work and the people that eat the fish has been lost,” Bartlett said.

The campaign will stretch fully across the state using social media, traditional marketing tools and events, he said.

“It’s really going to be a 12- to 18-month process, starting this spring,” Bartlett said.

He said the schedule includes a large event in Gloucester sometime in August, followed by another in Boston in September.

“We’re going to keep pushing until we change the conversations about what fishermen do and how they’re recognized,” Bartlett said. “Uniting the industry will get us 90 percent of the way there.”

Bartlett also offered some chilling statistics to reinforce the rigors of commercial fishing and the high physical costs that often come from a career on the water.

They include:

Northeast groundfishermen are 37 times more likely to die on the job than police officers. New England waters, according to Bartlett, are the nation’s deadliest.

Read the full story at The Gloucester Times 

MASSACHUSETTS: Whiting plan, marine monument suit on fish board’s plate

March 23, 2017 — With the opening of the 2017 fishing season a little more than a month away, the city’s Fisheries Commission is set to meet Thursday night to discuss potential changes to the management plans for whiting and herring, as well as national marine monuments.

The commission, scheduled to meet at 7 p.m. at City Hall, also will receive an update from J.J. Bartlett, executive director of the Fishing Partnership Support Services, on FPSS-sponsored events for the upcoming year.

The national marine monument discussion will center on the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., challenging the use of the Antiquities Act by former President Barack Obama to create the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts National Marine Monument off the coast of southern New England in September 2016.

The Massachusetts Lobstermen’s Association has signed on to the lawsuit as a lead plaintiff.

The suit names President Donald Trump, new Secretary of Commerce Wilbur J. Ross and Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke among the five defendants, but really sets its sights on Obama and his actions during the waning days of his presidency.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Times

Safety training set in New Bedford for commercial fishermen

November 10th, 2016 — Fishing Partnership Support Services is once again bringing safety training for commercial fishermen to New Bedford.

The partnership will hold safety and survival training on Thursday, Nov. 17, 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., at the School for Marine Science and Technology at UMass Dartmouth, 706 S. Rodney French Boulevard.

The next day, Friday, Nov. 18, the partnership will offer drill conductor training at the same location from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

A team of certified marine safety instructors will lead both programs, which are being offered to fishermen at no cost. The Coast Guard and the Massachusetts Fishermen’s Partnership are supporting both events.

Topics to be covered during the first training include: on-board firefighting, man-overboard procedures, flooding and pump operations, flares and emergency positioning devices, survival suits, life raft equipment, helicopter hoist-and-rescue procedures and emergency aid.

Lunch will be provided to all participants, courtesy of Ocean Marine Insurance Agency. Cape VNA will offer free vaccines and health screenings during the lunch break.

The drill conductor training prepares and certifies fishermen to conduct emergency drills at sea, as federal regulations require monthly drills on commercial fishing boats operating farther than three nautical miles from shore. Emergency situations addressed in this training include: man overboard, fire, damage control and abandon ship.

Read the full story at The New Bedford Standard-Times