A beautiful full color 12 month wall calendar, each month covering one of Gloucester's gillnetters, draggers or lobster boats and her crew, and including a narrative about the history and plight of the beautiful and historic Gloucester fishing industry and her Finest Kind men (and one young woman) of the sea. $15 plus $3.00 S&H for one to five, $12.00 each if you order six.
Gloucester,
Massachusetts - America’s oldest seaport - a place of incredible
beauty, tradition and history, inhabited by a unique breed of people who
love where they live and what they do. Fishermen, Gloucester’s finest
kind, the salt of the earth and some of the kindest and most gentle spirits
you will ever have the pleasure of meeting. The American fishing industry
was born in Gloucester, and for nearly four centuries, the abundant waters
off the Massachusetts coast have provided livelihood for thousands and
fed generations of people. Today the historic and beautiful local commercial
fishing industry is being threatened with extinction.
Much of the history and economy of New England is intertwined with the
fishing industry. Stories about the trials and tribulations of brave individuals
embarking on treacherous fishing expeditions abound in books, movies,
like “The Perfect Storm” and television documentaries. The search
for fish such as cod, flounder, haddock, mackerel, redfish, and tuna still
drives the fishing industry; however, it is currently involved in many
controversial issues related to the economics and biology of commercial
fishing.
Gloucester, located on Cape Ann about 30 miles northeast of Boston, has been a maritime and fishing center since the first colonists arrived there in 1623. Gloucester’s shipping and fishing history has inspired several literary works, including Kipling’s Captains Courageous, Connolly’s Gloucestermen, and Longfellow’s The Wreck of the Hesperus. While fish-based industry has been the economic foundation for the community, it is also a popular summer resort area, and home to many artists and the historic Rocky Neck Art Colony.
Gloucester Harbor is a full-service port and regional hub for the commercial fishing industry in New England; however due to decreasing landings of fish since the 1980s, Gloucester Harbor’s status as a port and regional hub is threatened. Local businesses that have supported fishing and fishermen for centuries are now either failing or moving away from fishing to other activities.
Without entering the murky waters of State and Federal regulation of the fishing industry, which from the discussions I have had with the fishermen and fishing related businesses, has much to do with the precipitous decline of fishermen’s livelihood and quality of life, suffice it to say that today this great seaport and fishing industry is a shadow of it’s former self.
Coupled with the regulations now targeting small commercial fishermen (fishing boats of 45’ or less were originally deemed incapable of significantly impacting local fisheries), are the factory ships. Massive factory ships use state-of-the-art technology to target one species of fish at a time, until that population collapses, and then they turn to another species. And the small commercial fisherman gets caught in the net.
Along the diverse and beautiful ocean waters of New England, Atlantic Herring populations are being decimated by a form of fishing called "pair trawling." Very large nets are pulled by two relatively small fishing vessels resulting in bycatch and habitat destruction. Atlantic herring are an important part of the New England ecosystem. They are a staple food source for groundfish stocks like cod, along with many other species including whales, tuna, striped bass and seabirds. But, factory fishing techniques are depleting the populations and putting the health of the ocean ecosystem and many of New England's businesses and coastal communities at risk.
The photos in this calendar are of working Gloucester fishermen (lobstermen, draggers, gillnetters), the majority of whom today are older. They are often 2nd and 3rd generation fishermen for whom life on the sea is in their blood, but are now forced to discourage their sons and daughters from pursuing the family fishing heritage because of the tenuous nature of the industry. The young men you see working fishing boats these days are more likely lobstermen, which is not at present as heavily regulated as fishing. Zach Jewell on the Lady J was chosen as the cover photo because he is young and therefore one of the dying breed of fishermen. Then there is the unique and refreshing exception of Alysha Scola who works with her father, Joe Scola on the gillnetter, Capt. Joe (as seen on the August month of the calendar). The December calendar features Retired captain, Richie Arnold, who was the last captain of the gillnetter, Phyllis A. Both of them retired in 2000, she was 75, he was 70. She was Built by Bernie Wagner and launched at the Warner Shipyard in Kennebunkport, ME for Capt. Albert Arnold. The Arnold family continually fished the Phyllis A. (named for Richie’s sister, now 90) out of Gloucester from 1925 until 2000. The Phyllis A. Marine Association is now seeking a permanent home for her, with the long term goal of opening a children’s museum for historical fishing exhibits and programming.
A portion of the proceeds of this calendar will go to benefit the Northeast Seafood Coalition ("NSC" ), a non-profit 501(c)(6) organization dedicated to working with government regulations and environmental concerns to preserve the long-term health of fishery resources, fishing communities and the fishing industry.
The work of the NSC is geared toward crafting real solutions to complex fishery problems. The NSC strives to find creative solutions that work to rebuild fish stocks while preserving family-owned fishing businesses, a diverse groundfish fleet and fishing communities across the Northeast.
The current regulatory environment is crippling fishing operations, hindering the rebuilding of certain fish stocks, while disallowing opportunities to harvest the total allowable catch on healthier stocks. The NSC is currently developing a new long-term management system that will foster sustainability and accountability in the groundfish fishery. This system will be managed through local harvest cooperatives, an initiative currently supported by the National Marine Fisheries Service and the New England Fishery Management Council.
Help preserve Gloucester’s historic, cultural and beautiful fishing industry by purchasing this calendar, or making a donation directly to the Northeast Seafood Coalition, 4 Parker Street Gloucester, MA 01930. They will greatly appreciate your support and dedication to preserving generations of fish, fishermen, and families. It would be such a shame for us and future generations of New Englanders to lose this vital and beautiful industry from our shores if there is something we can do to help stop it.
Thanks to Adam Bolonsky for the idea to create a Gloucester Fisherman Calendar, to Christine Sherman of NSC and Joe Ciaramitaro of Capt. Joe & Sons for connecting me with the fishermen to photograph for the calendar, and to the individual fishermen for their input into the issues affecting their industry. I enjoyed meeting all of them very much.