A Day in Photos

Hawai’i has invested in aquaculture to promote the islands’ food security and diversify the economy, to find out more we visited two key facilities supported by the state. Pacific Aquaculture and Coastal Resources Center (PACRC) is a unique coastal facility that supports aquaculture and marine science programs at the University of Hawai’i Hilo. PACRC research and education activities focus on growing native ornamentals, foodfish, and oysters, as well as aquaculture technician workforce training for 20 to 30 students annually and restoration of native species

Blue Ocean Mariculture is the nation’s first commercial farm to raise fish in the open ocean.  They accomplished this through close communication with local fishermen to select mutually agreeable species and location..  The local commercial fishermen are supportive of farming kanpachi, since it means one of their favorite fishes is back on the menu. 

“Healthier people create healthier communities,” is the catchphrase of the Family Table Collaborative and local seafood is a big part of that.  The Family Table gets donations from local fishermen, including Jesse Rose of the Midnight Our, as well as cases of haddock chowder and Provencal Fish Stew from the Fishermen’s Alliance.

Twenty six years is a long time, older than a few captains in the fleet, older than his own children, almost older than his wedding vows. Just about as old as this organization. John Our has had a long, long history in the fishing industry, that started when he was five

Comparing fish markets around the world is always fascinating, and always reminds me of the historic depth and power of our fishery back home.
Latest example: Sicily.
Mondello, at the fringe of muscular Palermo, perches on the sea with a fine sand beach that lures tourists – sound familiar? A Coast Guard station abuts a small fishermen’s market. Mondello residents swing by to peruse and buy.
The market is makeshift, if something centuries old can be called that. There is modern canvas shade but no ice; best to get this fish to a cool place straight away. Plastic totes contain what was retrieved in small boats at sunrise, single men working single days close to shore. See photos of the market, and what’s for sale, in our photo gallery.

The Cape is still a small enough place that we get to know a lot of our supporters personally. They also get to know us and the commercial fishermen who steer our organization. Some of our relationships extend back decades, others are more recent, but they all strengthen our community. We are proud of our events that connect the local fishing industry to neighbors and friends and we have had a fall full of them, so wanted to share some photos with you. Hope to see you soon! Meet the Fleet photos by Erin Minns Photography.

We heard tons of positive comments about last month’s Hookers Ball, about how it truly was “Aboat Time.” Those sentiments were emphasized when we published a photo gallery and it was one of the most popular, if not the most popular, in the close to five-year-history of our emagazine. So we had to do an encore. Enjoy.

After one virtual Hookers Ball, and another clam bake-style at the Fishermen’s Alliance office, there was some talk about waiting one more year before having a huge gathering.

But John Pappalardo, CEO of the Fishermen’s Alliance, kept getting the same message from folks: “Put that damn tent up! People need something to celebrate.”

So we did and people gathered for fun, frivolity and food under the big white tent at the Chatham VFW. It was “Aboat Time.”

Check out the photos of the Hookers Ball XXI, which celebrated the Cape’s fishing industry and the community it represents,  Photos by Salty Broad Studios.

“Summertime and the livin’ is easy

Fish are jumpin’ and the cotton is high.”

Most everybody knows those lyrics from George Gershwin, just like most everyone loves the summer. For commercial fishermen summer is far from easy – although the fish may be jumping.