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Martha’s Vineyard Fishermen
Martha’s Vineyard Massachusetts has some of the oldest fishing families still fishing in America. In a very short time, a relative blink of an eye, the future of this economic, social and cultural tradition has become very seriously threatened with collapse.
In June 2007 several fishermen on the island were asked if they had anything to say to the New England Fisheries Management Council. The following was excerpted and edited from their complete testimony.
—Jonathan Mayhew, 12th generation fisherman I have fished since graduating from Massachusetts Maritime in 1972. I’m from a family that has fished on the island for 12 generations and I disagree with the direction the New England Fisheries Management Council has been going. I have fished on a 53' steel hulled boat, fished multi-species, and then scallops. In the 1970 and 1980’s we were dragging, scalloping and then sword fishing. We brought in 1,000 bushels a trip. employed 30 shuckers, which meant 30 families had winter jobs. Now I have a 400 lb. trip limit, but I can’t run a boat for that. I have lost my flexibility, in what I can fish, and the port has as well. We backed off from stocks that were down, but the fishermen who stayed and pounded these stocks were rewarded with days at sea. I’m even charged for days at sea when I’m steaming over to New Bedford to sell my product. The Council says we are over capitalized. But they still have the Capital Construction Fund that created this mess. Small boat fishermen had to mortgage their houses to buy boats. The Capital Construction Fund gave low interest loans to build big boats that put the small boats out of business. Properly managed none of these small boats would have to go out of business. The scallops are all given to the big boats.
“Letting the Russians in here and letting the cod be driven offshore was wrong.” —Robert Flanders, World War II veteran, fisherman I was born into the fishing business in the 1920’s. I hate to see the corporations taking over the family fishing business. And I think that is exactly what has happened. I’ve been tub trawling and lobstering. I think the fishery has been mismanaged.
The NEFMC should do something for the many small boats, not the few big boats.” —Stanley Larsen, fisherman Just 30 years ago there were swordfish, groundfish, lobster, scallops and many, many boats here. I am very disappointed with the Magnuson Stevens Act. I went cod fishing with my father when I was 5 years old in the 1920s. I had opportunities, but now there’s no future for young people in fishing. The country was built on small fishing boats, small operators. America was built on that, and I guess that’s all gone now.
—Skip Mayhew, Vietnam vet, fisherman I have fished all my life. I, and others, were a part of destroying the fishing, Today there is too much technology, side scans, etc., to find the fish. It should go to small boats, very small boats. If we were all in small boats, with no gill nets, using tub trawls, with a limited number of hooks, it could work. It can’t be in the hands of a few corporations. We can’t run it the way we are, it just won’t work. I grew up with the image of the horn of plenty. Believed there was nothing we could to destroy the ocean. Now there is so much technology, one man can catch so much more fish. We don’t need big boats any more.
—Greg Mayhew, officer in Vietnam, state legislator 1969-72, lifelong fisherman Family has fished here since 1642. Basing history on qualifying years when we were taking pressure off scallops and fishing other stocks has squeezed us out. Our multi-purpose boats are family owned and operated, conservation minded. The 200 mile limit brought in the big owners who catch all they can, and when the fish are gone they do something else. The fleet owners buy up permits from the guys who can’t make it. They hire crew, but there is no sense of stewardship. We want to promote a fresh caught, quality product to save the community, and maintain a sense of stewardship of the ocean. We are losing that. The way it is set up now very few would qualify if the fish do came back. They say sword fish is rebuilt, but they are small. With harpoon we only take the fish that are large enough to have bred. Those are 120 lbs. or more. One trip in the 1980’s the average swordfish was 350 pounds. They should do away with long lining. Long liners average 60 pound fish. We have not been able to make a living because the swordfish are too small to harpoon. Fleet owners can go to the meetings. It’s tough for us to go when we’re working, to make an overnight trip to council meetings.
“It’s a shame to give the fishery to the big boats with big nets and technology.” —Buddy Van Der Hoop, Tribal member and fisherman I have been fishing for 50 years. There is no cod now because of mismanagement Cod was depleted by gill netters. The whole fishing industry has to be revamped and not given to the big guys. We were born and bred as fishermen. Now we are forced to do other things to make a living, carpentry and mechanics. If we went to hook and line there would be enough for everyone.
“When I got a permit to hand line, I was only allocated 75 pounds of cod, but that’s not a commercial amount.” —Steve Larson, FV Esther’s Pride A life long fisherman from a fishing family. I fished 2000 to 3000 hooks. But because I backed off on stocks that were low, I lost most of my days at sea. I had a small boat and I couldn’t go out to use my days when the weather was bad. I was cut down to 8 days, then I lost those.
“The town of Aqinnah supports sustainable fisheries on a local level.” —Spencer Booker, tribal leader and selectman
Tom Osmers, organized and filmed the commentary. |
