The Codfather

Tom Osmers at the Maine Fishermen's Forum in Rockport 2008 giving Martha's Vineyard oysters to fellow attendees. Fishermen's Voice Photo

Tom Osmers was a fisherman and a passionate advocate for small scale fishing. He urged the adoption of “intentional inefficiencies” in fishing technology, recognizing that truly sustainable fishing requires us to look at both how many fish are caught, as well as how and where they are caught. He railed against the injustice of rewarding fishermen with allocation based on fish caught while their fishing gear remained at sea even after the fishermen returned to port. He was angered by the wastefulness of regulatory discards, and frustrated by the fact that fluke were discarded in tremendous numbers simply because they were not considered a groundfish. Tom witnessed the collapse of groundfishing on Martha’s Vineyard, and fervently believed that restoration required protecting the local fish and supporting the communities. His perseverance earned him the nickname, the “codfather.”

Some people remember Tom for his stalwart support of small boat communities. Others remember his perpetually good-natured demeanor, and of course, the oysters! Tom made a habit of serving oysters that he had harvested at management meetings. What a great way to spread goodwill. He could speak from the heart at the mic one moment and share a wisecrack comment while shucking an oyster the next. He loved local food, even when it required “fillet and release.”

Tom fought tirelessly for the right of his communities on Martha’s Vineyard to be able to once again fish for cod. Without Tom telling me, I would have never known that the cod was on the town seal for multiple Vineyard towns. He recalled a handline, jig and tubtrawl fishery from small boats, one that was wiped out over a decade ago when localized spawning stocks were eliminated. Tom urged the New England Fishery Management Council to provide protection for small boats that used inefficient gear, and to set aside an area around the Vineyard to allow the fish to recover. When sectors were being discussed, he found it hard to believe that fishermen on the Vineyard would be asked to “invest in a stock that does not yet exist.” Yet, he had the insight to submit one of the 17 new sector applications. He summed up his vision in his hand-written sector application – “the fish want to return to the Vineyard!”

As Amendment 16 to the groundfish plan progressed, Tom and I discussed a Sector partnership. We both advocated for small scale fishing communities, and protection for local groundfish stocks. The Sector would be a pairing of fishermen from eastern Maine and Martha’s Vineyard – two regions hardest hit by local depletion and then further punished with lost allocation. Permits in our regions had been disappearing for years because the opportunity to fish had disappeared. Now, the Sector seemed like a way to hold onto what was left, and begin to rebuild. Tom signed up 7 fishermen, from Chilmark, Menemsha, and Vineyard Haven on Martha’s Vineyard. I signed up 12 fishermen from Jonesport, Milbridge, Gouldsboro, Bar Harbor, Swans Island, Deer Isle, and Stonington in eastern Maine. Soon, we saw the Sector as one possible way to gather like-minded fishermen from around the New England region under one roof. We added one fisherman from Long Island, New York, and one from Cape Cod, and continued to invite others. Without Tom’s initial organizing efforts, and his ability to convey the opportunity that this Sector could provide for our communities, the Northeast Coastal Communities Sector would not exist. Our Sector recently held a full membership meeting at the Maine Fishermen’s Forum. Though Tom was absent, his contribution was acknowledged by several in the room. We are all thankful for his work.

On a more personal note, I will always remember Tom’s friendship. He regularly included me in his Fish and Farm reports broadcast from a public radio station on Martha’s Vineyard. He introduced me to an entire community of some of the kindest people that I have ever met on Martha’s Vineyard. His energy and his altruism for sustainable fishing on Martha’s Vineyard were inspirational. In Tom’s absence the members of our Sector and I will continue to work to rebuild the opportunity for small-scale groundfishing in our New England communities.