A Day in Photos

From the beginning of June through September, fishermen are catching skate and dogfish most days and landing at the Chatham Fish Pier, a crowd looking down from the observation deck. Fish are unloaded to Red’s Best or Shellfish Broker, who lease the bays from the town, iced and sent to New Bedford for processing. Most of the harvest is going to France or England, but captains and crew would love to see domestic demand increase. This photo gallery, by Charlee O’Neil of Mainsail Events, reveals the busyness of the pier, abundance of fish, consistent hard work and camaraderie. Fishing continues into fall and winter, though not at the same pace.

There were so many great moments, food, and people at Hookers Ball that there isn’t enough room to share even a fraction of the frivolity. Thankfully, a picture is worth 1000 words and we have close to a dozen to share, taken by Salty Broad Studios. Check out this gallery for a glimpse into the fun and see who went “Skating Through Summer” with us and helped make the 24th annual ball under the Big White tent one for the record books.

Kim Roderiques and Geoff Bassett have spent the last several months following fishermen as they go about their daily lives and earn their living from the sea. The result of their work is a documentary, The Hand that Holds Line, a kaleidoscope of stories from local fishermen, the challenges they face and the success they realize through hard work and determination. A trailer of the documentary will premiere at Hookers Ball on Aug. 2; this gallery gives a glimpse into the stories about to be unveiled through stunning photographs taken on scene by Roderiques and Bassett. 

Wellfleet is famous for oysters, but the town also has an enviable quahog population, due in part to dedicated volunteers who help the shellfish department with their annual “relay” of quahogs from Taunton River. Over the course of several days in May, around 1,200 totes of clams made the trip over the bridge, placed in Wellfleet Harbor. The state runs the program; a multitude of clams are taken from the river, which is off limits to harvesting because of low water quality, purchased by towns to improve their shellfish programs. Clams cleanse themselves over months, spawn the next generation, and then become available for commercial and recreational harvest.

One of our core missions is education and we fulfill that in a variety of ways, from Meet the Fleets to community forums, regular member updates to visits with policy makers. This e-magazine is designed to let people know about the industry that is essential to the economy and culture of the Cape. Central is educating future fishermen to enter a career they may not have considered a possibility. We held our fifth Fishermen Training earlier this month, led by Frank Mattera of Commercial Fisheries Center of Rhode Island. We also sent Ray Rowell of Fishermen’s Alliance to Florida for a meeting of National Future Fishermen Coalition, recently established to help coastal communities across the country collaborate, share resources, and create lasting connections.

There has been a lot of talk in town about the first welding course the Fishermen’s Alliance did in partnership with Cape Cod Community College and it has mostly centered around one question: When is the next one? As we continue to focus on professional development for the fleet – and economic development for our coastal communities – ways to strengthen independent businesses has been a focus. The beginner’s welding course, and another planned for engine repair, are geared to provide fishermen with the training to make small repairs that make a big impact on their bottom line.

People and fish from all over the world showed up in Boston’s Seaport District in time for St. Patrick’s Day and the three-day Seafood Expo North America.

The exposition brings together suppliers from 50 countries under one roof to provide North America’s seafood buyers a one-stop-shop to dive into everything seafood, face-to-face. This includes discovering, sampling and sourcing products, meeting with current or new suppliers and more. The 43rd annual event was no different, showcasing an amazing potpourri of booths, products, and humanity.
Here’s a visual visit:

Social media can be divisive, but photographer Steve Kennedy’s posts on Provincetown, A Fishing Village, are unifying and strengthen community. The picture above is a case in point – in amongst the various commenters’ insights about Captain Henry Duarte mending the net for the F/V Charlotte G is a genealogy of the vessel on the right – F/V Little Infant.

The boat in the picture is the third Little Infant that became the F/V Terra Nova in the late 80s. As coastal communities change, the heritage of the fishing industry that built the town and continues to give it color, personality and a strong economy becomes more important.

Green crab is considered one of the most pernicious invasive species in the world and has proved destructive to the Cape’s marine ecosystem.
To fight back against the European invader which makes short work of clams, scallops and young lobsters as well as destroys eelgrass, people have tried a variety of measures.
Some towns, such as Ipswich, have put a bounty on their heads, others harvest them for bait and many have tried to create a market for them. Greencrab.org  was founded in 2020 to raise awareness and to take green crab from “problem to plate.”
This gallery shows green crabs being harvested on Cape as well as showcases a variety of green crab menu items.