By Doreen Leggett
John Pappalardo, CEO of Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen’s Alliance, looked out at revelers at the 23th annual Hookers Ball and mentioned that while the event always is a celebration, this year was particularly upbeat.
The reason? More and more people see a bright future for commercial fishing on Cape Cod and are getting into the industry, he said.
“I see a lot of young fishermen, more than in a long while. This is one of the truest ways to judge the health of the industry and the value of our work,” Pappalardo added.
He made his remarks after the 400-plus crowd had mingled, enjoyed different local seafood, and sat down for the main presentation. The Hookers Ball, held every August, is the biggest fundraiser for the Fishermen’s Alliance and this year raised $300,000.
“A heartfelt thank you to our sponsors and everyone who attended and generously participated in the auctions and contributed to our fundraising goal. We are so grateful for the community support and to those who joined us to celebrate the Cape’s vibrant fishing heritage,” said Brigid Krug, director of development.
The generosity of those in attendance was motivated by the variety of programs and advocacy the Fishermen’s Alliance has offered since 1991. The non-profit has been a consistent voice for fishermen in regulatory arenas, partnered with fishermen on science and launched various educational and economic development programs, including “Small Boats, Big Taste,” bringing more than a million servings of fish chowder and stew to people facing food insecurity.
With climate change, volatile markets, skyrocketing cost of living, and wind farms moving into fishing grounds, the next generation of fishermen is going to continue to need support from the Fishermen’s Alliance and the community, Pappalardo said.
Those in attendance were able to hear from three young fishermen in a video (all also in attendance) about their lives on the water and why they got into fishing.
Sean Connors, 31, captain of the F/V Dawn Treader, is the son of Captain Greg Connors and fished growing up, but didn’t envision a career in the industry.
“I went to school for business and finance and hospitality and that was the game plan,” said Connors, a gillnetter out of Chatham who graduated from the University of New Hampshire. “But then I decided it wasn’t for me. I really like fishing; I like the independence it gives you. I like running my own business, making my own decisions, for better or for worse.”
Mike Van Hoose, 27, graduated from Cape Cod Regional Technical High School (and is a big supporter of Fishermen’s Alliance partnering with the Tech on Fishermen Training ) and started fishing right away.
“I actually got an opportunity from an old Chatham captain, he just straight up offered me if I wanted to go fishing one day. I said, yes, and it’s kind of just been a wrap after that,” said Van Hoose, a Harwich resident who captains a scalloper and a surf clam vessel, F/V Nemesis. “I like being on the water. I like how it is a challenge every day. If you don’t like the challenge, then you are really not going to prosper anywhere in fishing.”
In the video, Pappalardo flipped through more than 600-pages, small font, of federal fisheries regulations. Those regulations change every year and fishermen need to know them. Staff at the Fishermen’s Alliance attend more than 100 meetings a year to make sure small fishing businesses on the Cape operate under regulations that sustain, not stifle, the industry, he said.
“We need to be part of the state and federal process. We need to make sure that the fishermen understand the potential changes in the rules and have a voice in it,” Pappalardo said.
Fishermen are constantly seeking opportunities and looking to diversify for success, Pappalardo said. For example Bradley Louw, 35, featured in the film, recently purchased Surfside Seafood in Orleans.
“Nowadays with what is going on in the industry, due to inflation, prices, and all that type of stuff it is really hard to sustain a future in commercial fishing and in order to do so we have to get creative,” said Louw, also captain of the scalloper F/V Three Graces, and a lobster boat F/V Renegade. “An opportunity was given to me to purchase a retail seafood market and I jumped on it.”
Pappalardo told the crowd that the health of the Cape’s coastal community is inextricably linked to the strength and sustainability of the industry.
“They inspire high hopes for the future … and the continued success of an industry that has been an economic engine on the Cape for centuries,” he concluded.