Selfies with Schoolies
Cat with Captain Austin By Cat Wilson, "That Girl in the More" for Cape Country 104 Recently, you may have noticed pictures of me floating around the internet taking selfies with fish. Do you want to take a guess at how many times I have gone fishing in the past decade? Come on… GUESS! The correct answer is only a couple of times. Each of those adventures has been within the past month or so...
On the Skate Campaign
Cape fishermen continue to prioritize fishery fieldwork on skates as a way of contributing to the government’s understanding of the species. You may recall from our Fall Newsletter that our fishermen advocated for and were granted an Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) for the 2014-2105 fishing year, which expired on June 23, 2015...
Big herring catch off New England comes with worries
By Patrick Whittle, The Associated Press ROCKLAND — A little fish that New Englanders have sought since the Colonial era is at the center of a battle over how to manage massive boats that trawl swaths of ocean off the East Coast. The catch for the Atlantic herring, which travels in groups sometimes numbering in the billions, is in the midst of a massive boom...
Plenty of Fish in the Sea, but Red Tape Keeps Them There
Written by Alex Elvin, Photos by Jeanna Shepard Wes Brighton looked out the window of his 40-foot fishing boat the Martha Elizabeth — among the largest docked at Menemsha harbor on Monday evening — at the picturesque shacks and wooden piles lining the dock behind the fish markets. “Every vacationer makes Menemsha at least one night on their two-week vacation,” he said, ticking off the benefits of commercial fishing to the Island...
On the Conch Campaign Trail
On the Conch Campaign Trail Our campaign team has been working diligently with conch fishermen to keep abreast of issues that are impacting their fishery. Not a lot is known about conch populations, yet it has become a fast-growing fishery due to high prices paid for conch destined for foreign markets. As a result of these factors and as a precautionary measure, the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) decided to implement an increase in the minimum size of conch allowed to be brought to shore...
House Bill on Fisheries Law Still Needs Work
Knowing that every part of Cape Cod’s small-boat fishing community is acutely affected by national fisheries policy, the Fishermen’s Alliance feels it is important to present a unified stance on the recently-passed H.R. 1335, (Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska). We believe this is a flawed reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA)—the primary law governing our nation’s fisheries...
Commercial Fishermen think MSA Bill needs work
STATEMENT: Commercial Fishermen across the U.S. think House bill to reauthorize the Magnuson-Stevens Act needs work (Washington, D.C., May 27, 2015) The House of Representatives is poised to vote next week on H.R. 1335 (Young, R-AK), one of two bills introduced in the House to reauthorize the Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA), our nation’s primary fishery management law...
National Permit Bank Workshop
On April 26-28, the Cape Cod Fisheries Trust hosted the first National Permit Banking Workshop in Boston. Close to 70 attendees from 26 fishing communities, foundations, and other organizations participated in lively discussions, brainstorming sessions, and networking. It was a unique and important opportunity for fishermen and practitioners from Alaska to California and from the Gulf of Mexico to New England to get together and talk about their shared experiences and challenges...
2015 Marine Safety Information Bulletin
Please click on the link (below) to find the latest commercial fishing industry safety and equipment requirements and when they go into effect. Download the 2015 Marine Safety Information Bulletin. The attached summary of important new safety gear regulations is being provided on behalf of the Coast Guard Commercial Fishing Vessel Safety coordinator in Boston, MA...
How do I cook skate?
Trying out a new recipe can be difficult, even daunting for the most experienced chef. One of the things we work toward at the Fishermen's Alliance is to educate and encourage people to try a new seafood species in their every day meals. We have partnered up with well-known chefs to bring you some options for preparing the seafood caught straight from the Cape Cod waters...
Lean year looms for groundfish fishery
By Patrick Whittle Catch limits set to take effect this week will take a bite out of an industry that dates back to America’s Colonial past: New England cod. The stricter quota on cod taken from the Gulf of Maine – a 75 percent cut from the current year – will also affect the catch of other similar fish, meaning New England fishermen and seafood dealers expect a year of meager supply and high prices for several popular fish...
The Last Longliners
By Lisa Cavanaugh Long lining is labor intensive, but it’s a sustainable way of fishing, with little by-catch. Despite the depleted population of cod and haddock, these two Cape Cod fishermen still choose to use long lines with baited hooks to make a living. Ninety miles offshore in the Gulf of Maine—in the dead of winter—can be a cold and lonely spot...
