Search Results for: Gambardella
Gambardella Wholesale Fish Inc. Owner/Operator Michael Gambardella, Jr., has passed away
Michael Gambardella, Jr., 65, of East Haven passed away on Wednesday, March 4, 2020 with his loving family by his side. He is the husband of Laura Silvestro Gambardella. He was born in New Haven on April 9, 1954 to the late Michael and Elizabeth Martin Gambardella, Sr. Mike was the owner and operator of Gambardella Wholesale Fish, a family business that has thrived for more than a century. He was a true family man, who loved to cook, garden, root on his beloved Red Sox and enjoyed an occasional trip to the casino. Calling Hours, Sunday, March 08, 2020. Funeral Service, Monday, March 09, 2020. To read service details, sign/review guest book. >click to read< 09:42
Fishermen hope bumper sticker gets Trump’s attention – The sticker features a picture of Trump giving a thumbs-up next to a fishing boat with the slogan “Make Commercial Fishing Great Again,” a spin on Trump’s popular campaign slogan “Make America Great Again. (Mike) Gambardella said if fishermen just had the chance to explain the long-standing problem to Trump, “his head would spin.” Mike posted an addendum to the post. >click to read<
This is a page with many posts about Mike and his many associates in various efforts to inform the public, and politicians!! >click to read<
To Mike Gambardella, Get Well Soon!
To all the good people who visit us here at Fisherynation, we would like to let you all know our good friend and major supporter of our commercial fishing communities and our heritage has just come through a major surgery at Mid-State Medical Center hospital in CT. He will be on the mend for a while but we know that although he is down now, he’ll be back at it soon enough and continuing what he started with his Make Commercial Fishing Great Again Campaign! Mike, you know we all love you and are behind you 110%. You’ll be back on the front lines of this battle soon enough. Until then, we encourage our Fisherynation supporters to give Mike a shout out and let him know how much he is appreciated. >comment here!<16:34
For those that don’t know Mike, here is a bit about him: Fishermen hope bumper sticker gets Trump’s attention, Stonington fish wholesaler calls on Sen. Blumenthal for help, and others! >click to read<
Stonington fishermen to hold open house on Saturday at Gambardella’s Wholesale Seafood at the Town Dock
The town’s commercial fishermen will hold an open house from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday, July 28, at the Gambardella’s Wholesale Seafood location at the Town Dock. The event is being billed as an opportunity for residents to meet fishermen, local retailers and restaurants and find out what types of seafood are for sale locally this time of year and how the fish are processed and prepared for the local market. There will be an opportunity for people to go aboard a working fishing boat and learn how it operates as well as meet fishermen, ask them questions and learn what issues are concerning to them. >click to read<17:32
Sea to Table: Bringing the Bounty of the Sea to You With Meghan Lapp, and Michael Gambardella
Open to the public and free of charge. For more information, please contact the Town of Stonington Economic Development Commission at 860-235-9180. The La Grua Center is located at 32 Water St., Stonington, CT. lagruacenter.org 22:37
All about freshness: Local seafood rushed to markets near and far
As the crew of the Jenna Lynn II offloaded its catch earlier this month at the Town Dock, Eddie Gambardella watched as six of his employees quickly filled about 30 boxes with ice and 60 pounds each of fluke, scup, ling, sea bass, squid and other species that slid down a sorting table. The owner of Gambardella Wholesale Fish Dealers already had orders for the catch from his customers, mostly wholesalers in New York City. He credits his late uncle Mike Gambardella, a fierce supporter of the Town Dock fishing community who died in March 2020, as his inspiration. A color photo of him hangs on the wall, along with black-and-white images of Gambardella’s grandfather and great-grandfather. “Everything I learned was through my uncle. He was my teacher. I never went to college. He showed me everything,” Gambardella said. “I owe everything I have to him. It sucks that he’s not here. I miss him every day.” >click to read< or here 08:17
Connecticut’s last commercial seaport — Stonington — shines in Mystic shadow
It’s a hodgepodge of a parade for sure, but one that holds the same significance year after year in this Connecticut fishing village. Upon completing their lap around the square, the pirates, pipers and hot rods, along with the spectators, move en masse the short distance to the Town Dock for the annual Blessing of the Fleet.,,, The blessing and its reason for being, too, have evolved. What once was a way of life for this little village has literally sailed out to sea. “We don’t have enough fish coming through the door,” said Mike Gambardella, whose family owns one of the last packing facilities and wholesale fish houses in Connecticut. >click to read<12:34
As fish move north, ‘things are getting weird out there’
Here in one of New England’s oldest fishing communities, there’s a longing for the old days, long before climate change and the federal government’s quota system got so complicated. Convinced that Congress and NOAA will never allow them larger quotas, many fishermen want to take their grievances straight to the White House, hoping the commander in chief will intervene and allow them to catch more fish. At his fish wholesaling business, Mike Gambardella reached for his iPhone to find one of his prized photographs: a picture showing him wearing a white T-shirt bearing the message, “President Trump: Make Commercial Fishing Great Again!” >click to read<08:28
Photos – Offloading a cod catch at Stonington Town Dock
Alex Newhall, of Stonington, unloads the catch from the Heritage, a trawler out of Point Judith, at Gambardella Wholesale Fish Dealers at the Stonington Town Dock. Newhall is a crew member on the Heritage. Harold Hanka, The Westerly Sun >click to view<16:21
Residents learn about fishing, local offerings at Stonington open house
They all were visiting the open house hosted by the town’s fishermen at Gambardella’s Wholesale Seafood at the Town Dock on Saturday afternoon to get an inside look at the fishing industry and learn more about the seafood caught by local fishermen. Ed Emery, a third-generation fisherman, encouraged people to shop locally at the Town Dock for fresh fish,,, Mike Gambardella, owner of Gambardella’s Wholesale Seafood, who came up with the idea for the event, said the fishermen want to show people how wild-caught, chemical-free, good seafood tastes.,,He also said they want to show how hard of a job it is to be a fisherman under so much regulation. He said scientists should listen to the fishermen who go out every day to the ocean and see what is out there. >click to read<09:46
Today, from noon to 4 p.m. – Stonington fishermen holding open house to promote freshly caught seafood
As part of the Blessing of the Fleet, the fishermen of Stonington are sponsoring an open house at Gambardella Wholesale Fish Dealers at the Town Dock from noon to 4 p.m. to provide an inside look at how seafood is caught, processed and distributed. Local fishermen will be on hand to explain how the fishing equipment works and what it’s like to bring in the catch from out at sea. Visitors will also be able to tour the Regulus, a scallop boat, and the Tradition, a trawling boat. And there will be food. >click to read<09:33
The US Senate needs to support the AMERICAN FISHERIES ADVISORY COMMITTEE ACT, S1322, Joel Hovanesian
To all,
My name is Joel Hovanesian and I am a commercial fisherman who resides in RI but have held a CT. licence for some 30 years. I have a small inshore vessel now after selling my offshore boat in 2010. I have been dealing with Mike Gambardella since he started in the Borough.
I want to bring an issue forward and give insight to some thoughts. I have been an outspoken critic of the way we have been managing our fisheries here in New England and other places on the Eastern Seaboard. We all recognize the fact that regulations need to be in place for obvious reasons, however as often happens when the Federal Government gets involved with things, they have a tendency to take on a life of their own. I and many other fishermen feel the same way about this line of thinking.
The fact of the matter is this. The government regulatory industry has become bigger than the industry it regulates. The amount of taxpayer dollars used to come up with these “regulations” is out of control. As a nation we are now importing nearly 95% of the seafood we consume in the US. Consider that much of these imports come from nations with no regulatory policies and often use slave labor to produce their exports.
Of the 95 % we import, only around 5% is inspected for quality and contamination. Of the 5% that is inspected, around 60% of that is rejected because it is considered to be inedible for a whole host of reasons. Chemicals, unsanitary production, etc. Think about what that means for the other 95% that gets through uninspected! I hope it opens your eyes the next time you shop for seafood.
This brings me to crux of my comments. The AMERICAN FISHERIES ADVISORY COMMITTEE ACT. This proposal in the US Senate needs support.
Years ago congress approved the Saltonstall Kennedy act which was designed to use import duties on seafood products and take that revenue to support the domestic seafood and fishing industries. In concept it was a great idea. However somewhere along the line these funds have been hijacked by congress and NOAA and the original intent of this act has been subverted. I believe the passing of this bill will serve two goals.
1. It will get the SK act back on tract towards it’s original intent and,
2. It will reduce the incentive for congress and NOAA to promote imported seafood products to continue funding their own projects. We need to start eating American seafood products again. Basically these monies have been stolen from industry in my opinion.
This is a link to the bill which I hope you all will read and get some understanding as to what it’s about. https://www.congress.gov/115/crpt/srpt193/CRPT-115srpt193.pdf
I look forward to seeing many of you this Wednesday and hope you feel free to ask questions!
Sincerely,
Joel Hovanesian, Owner/Operator
F/V Defiant, Pt. Judith RI
And also. I almost forgot, Senator Blumenthal sits on the committee considering this very important bill.
SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION ONE HUNDRED FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION JOHN THUNE, South Dakota, Chairman ROGER F. WICKER, Mississippi BILL NELSON, Florida ROY BLUNT, Missouri MARIA CANTWELL, Washington TED CRUZ, Texas AMY KLOBUCHAR, Minnesota DEB FISCHER, Nebraska RICHARD BLUMENTHAL, Connecticut JERRY MORAN, Kansas BRIAN SCHATZ, Hawaii DAN SULLIVAN, Alaska EDWARD J. MARKEY, Massachusetts DEAN HELLER, Nevada CORY A. BOOKER, New Jersey JAMES M. INHOFE, Oklahoma TOM UDALL, New Mexico MIKE LEE, Utah GARY C. PETERS, Michigan RON JOHNSON, Wisconsin TAMMY BALDWIN, Wisconsin SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO, West Virginia TAMMY DUCKWORTH, Illinois CORY GARDNER, Colorado MARGARETWOODHASSAN ,New Hampshire TODD C. YOUNG, Indiana CATHERINE CORTEZ MASTO, Nevada NICK ROSSI, Staff Director ADRIAN ARNAKIS, Deputy Staff Director JASON VAN BEEK, General Counsel KIM LIPSKY, Democratic Staff Director CHRISTOPHER DAY, Democratic Deputy Staff Director
The US Senate needs to support the AMERICAN FISHERIES ADVISORY COMMITTEE ACT, S1322
To all, My name is Joel Hovanesian and I am a commercial fisherman who resides in RI but have held a CT. licence for some 30 years. I have a small inshore vessel now after selling my offshore boat in 2010. I have been dealing with Mike Gambardella since he started in the Borough. I want to bring an issue forward and give insight to some thoughts. I have been an outspoken critic of the way we have been managing our fisheries here in New England and other places on the Eastern Seaboard. We all recognize the fact that regulations need to be in place for obvious reasons, however as often happens when the Federal Government gets involved with things, they have a tendency to take on a life of their own. >click to read<13:36
Sea to Table – Meghan Lapp to speak in Stonington July 27
On July 27 we will be hosting a presentation by Meghan Lapp, a fishing industry spokesperson and activist from Narragansett, R.I. She will have an interactive discussion with some audience members, including Mike Gambardella of Gambardella Fish Wholesale, and some of the fishermen, on problems faced by the industry and how people can support the industry regionally and locally. She will also explain why most of our seafood is imported while the waters off our shores are teaming with fish. There will be an opportunity for audience members to ask questions at the end of her talk. The presentation will be held at the LaGrua Center on Water Street in Stonington borough and starts at 7 PM. Admission is free. Please come out and show your support for our local fishermen! Click here for more information 12:02
No Fish Today
The fishing industry in Connecticut in under assault from foreign fish imports. Owner of wholesale fish in Stonington/East Haven Mike Gambardella writes, somewhat frantically, that consumers don’t realize that the import seafood market is at 96 percent: “Our fishermen are throwing wild-caught healthy, chemical free, dead fish overboard daily.” The regulatory apparatus in the United States is simply crushing local fishing industries,,, Former U.S. Representative Rob Simmons, now First Selectman of Stonington, has joined the struggle to remove deathly federal regulations from New England fishermen. But other members of Connecticut’s U.S. Congressional delegation, including the state’s two publicity seeking U.S. Senators, Chris Murphy and Dick Blumenthal – now busying themselves seeking to impeach Trump — have done little but console Gambardella and others with the usual political bromides click here to read the story 18:05
Fishermen make waves after Scup limits are lowered
Most of the fish caught by the Stonington fleet is processed at Gambardella Wholesale Seafood and the talk there today is about the change in Scup regulations. Two boxes of Scup processed at the plant weigh about 120 pounds which is almost two thirds of what fisherman are now allowed to haul in a day. “Two hundred pounds. We clean the net we get 200 pounds,” said fisherman Bob Guzzo. “They’re so prevalent we’re catching them with six inch mesh which is unbelievable.” Guzzo says he ends up having to throw back perfectly good fish so he doesn’t go over the daily catch limits. The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection lowered the Scup limits on Sunday because the summer quota which is a lot less than the winter quota is already at 72 percent. “Back in 2005 the fishery was overfished and it’s been rebuilt since then so they just want to keep it there,” said Mark Alexander with the DEEP. “I know the fishermen are frustrated because there are a lot of fish out there.” It’s not just Scup. Fishermen say Sea Bass are also thriving. Video, click here to read the story 22:03
Fisherman hoping bumper sticker will reel in Trump
The Stonington town dock once featured a dozen or more vibrant commercial fishing boats. Now, it’s down to three or four. “My revenue has gone down probably 75 percent,” says Joel Hovanesian, a fisherman for 45 years. “The ocean’s loaded with fish, but they don’t allow us to catch it,” said an aggravated Robert Guzzo, another longtime fisherman.”This year, we’re only allowed 120,000 pounds of fish,” said Mike Gambardella, a fish wholesaler, with businesses in Stonington and East Haven. When business was bustling, Gambardella Wholesale Fish would ship out 5,000 cartons, with 60 pounds of fish in each, every week. Now, on a really good week, it’s 300 cartons. Gambardella says the association is hoping the President listens and, at the very least, they can schedule a meeting with Linda McMahon, the former World Wrestling Entertainment head, who is now President Trump’s leader of the Small Business Administration. Video, read the story here 08:00
Calling on the president to make commercial fishing great again
One boat after another offloaded their catch at Gambardella’s Wholesale Seafood. A busy day for the seafood distributor but that’s not the norm these days. Fewer fishing boats are coming in because crews say they can’t afford to go out with limits on what they can catch.“The regulations are outdated, the science is wrong, and we’ve been fishing under these conditions for too long,” said Bobby Guzzo a longtime fishermen. He says they often have to throw back fish so they don’t go over their limits and those limits are based on what state fisherman are from even though they all fish the same federal waters. Connecticut limits are a lot lower than states down south. “We’re all fishing in federal water, we’re all fishing together,” said Guzzo. “Why aren’t we all together?” It’s a question Guzzo has been asking for years and now he and fellow fishermen are hoping to ask President Donald Trump. They are calling on him to make commercial fishing great again. Video, read the story here 07:57
Fishermen hope bumper sticker gets Trump’s attention
For struggling Town Dock fishermen, President Trump’s promise to eliminate regulations and spur the economy means they might finally have success in their long fight to rescind the catch restrictions they say are not only unfair and based on bad science but are putting them out of business. So in an effort to attract Trump’s attention and help spread their message in Washington, they have printed up a bumper sticker that will be appearing on vehicles here in coming days. The sticker features a picture of Trump giving a thumbs-up next to a fishing boat with the slogan “Make Commercial Fishing Great Again,” a spin on Trump’s popular campaign slogan “Make America Great Again. (Mike) Gambardella said if fishermen just had the chance to explain the long-standing problem to Trump, “his head would spin.” Read the story here 20:36
3/29/2017 As a point of clarification from the article that was posted in the newspaper in CT about the bumper stickers being made here, I need to clear something up. There was a reference to the state allocation issues and the disparity between the quota’s allowed southern states VS northern states. I, in no way shape or form am looking for the quota’s to be re distributed from the southern states to the northern states. The idea of this campaign is to shed light on the issues that affect us all. From south to north we are all affected by the unrelenting regulatory policies that have been moved forward by our out of control federal agencies that have miss managed our industry for decades. We are all suffering from the same problems, and now may be our last chance to bring these issues to light. We must ALL work TOGETHER to turn the tide so that ALL fishermen benefit regardless of where we reside, or where we fish. I hope this clears up any confusion about where we stand on this issue. Here’s to a prosperous future! Michael Gambardella 18:20
Connecticut fishermen are upset (pissed off) with restrictions
Connecticut fishermen are afraid the industry their grandfathers and great grandfathers started may come to an end. The crew of the Regulus just returned to Stonington with a haul of squid from the Hudson Canyon on Wednesday and talked with Eyewitness News. It’s near the continental shelf, which is a long way from their home port Regulus Captain Joseph Gilbert said they’ll be OK with their catch on Wednesday. “It’s getting tougher and tougher we end to have more fishing season in order to get by,” Gilbert said. Connecticut’s fishing fleet is one of the oldest in the country. But, now these fishermen are saying the federal regulations are killing them. “Our commercial fisherman are actually throwing more fish overboard than they’re allowed to bring in,” Mike Gambardella, who is a fish wholesaler, said. Gambardella’s family has been selling fish in Connecticut for more than a century. He explained as federal regulators reduce the types and numbers of fish they can catch. It doesn’t make economic sense to stay in business. Video, read the story here 07:51
Further cut in fluke quota puts Stonington fishermen, wholesaler in peril
Imagine one of the breadwinners in a typical two-earner household is suddenly hit with a 26 percent pay cut. Then, just as the family has adjusted to the leaner budget, the same worker’s pay gets lopped another 30 percent. Their landlord already has reduced their rent, and the family has cut corners wherever they could, so how will they make ends meet now? That’s basically the question Mike Gambardella, owner of Gambardella Wholesale Fish at Stonington Town Dock, is asking himself. He faces a new 30 percent reduction in the supply of fluke, one of his main products, next year, following the 26 percent cut he’s already dealing with this year that’s cost him about $100,000 in revenue. It also forced him to lay off one of his workers and reduce pay for himself and his remaining six workers, and negotiate reduced rent on the building he rents from the town. “At this point,” he said Thursday, “we’re fighting a losing battle. If I lose another $100,000 next year, I can’t afford to stay in business.” The new 30 percent cut in the supply of fluke — also called summer flounder — was announced Aug. 15 by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, which regulates fluke and other species for the East Coast along with a larger body, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, but the council basically has the controlling authority. Read the story here 11:14
Stonington fish wholesaler calls on Sen. Blumenthal for help
Ten years ago Gambardella Wholesale Seafood would take in fish from eight to ten boats a day. This week they only had one boat. The Stonington fish processing plant sits silent more often than not these days which is why owner Mike Gambardella invited Senatory Richard Blumenthal to meet with him and fishermen on Friday. “I need help so bad,” he tells the senator. “It’s terrible.” Gambardella says outdated federal fishing regulations are sinking his family business. The fish aren’t coming through his doors because fisherman are limited on what they can reel in. Read the rest here. 17:53
More New England Fishery Infrastructure In Jeopardy!
On Friday at 10am on April 15th, Senator Blumenthal (D-CT) and State Sen. Rob Simmons (R-CT) and Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT) will be at the fish dock in Stonington, CT in support of Gambardella Wholesale Fish, Inc. during the making of a video chronicling the difficulties of maintaining an essential fishery support business in the current fisheries regulatory environment. Mike Gambardella of Gambardella Wholesale Fish, Inc., at the Town Dock in Stonington, CT has run for decades one of the last packing facilities and wholesale fish houses in Connecticut. It is where most of what’s left of the local fleet sell their fish. Stonington is an iconic fishing port going back hundreds of years, and Mike’s Family has been in the fish business for generations. Read the rest here 15:00Connecticut: More Fishery Infrastructure In Jeopardy!
On Friday at 10am on April 15th, Senator Blumenthal (D-CT) and State Sen. Rob Simmons (R-CT) and Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT) will be at the fish dock in Stonington, CT in support of Gambardella Wholesale Fish, Inc. during the making of a video chronicling the difficulties of maintaining an essential fishery support business in the current fisheries regulatory environment.
The video and subsequent article will be done by Don Cuddy, the Program Director at The Center For Sustainable Fisheries, a science-based fisheries advocacy group devoted to giving the fishermen a voice and promoting the socio-economic well-being of coastal fishing communities.
Mike Gambardella of Gambardella Wholesale Fish, Inc., at the Town Dock in Stonington, CT has run for decades one of the last packing facilities and wholesale fish houses in Connecticut. It is where most of what’s left of the local fleet sell their fish. Stonington is an iconic fishing port going back hundreds of years, and Mike’s Family has been in the fish business for generations. The plight now is that the few remaining Stonington, CT commercial fishing vessels are not being allowed to catch and land enough fish for his business to remain financially viable. “We barely move enough product to pay the bills”, says Mike Gambardella, “My family has been in this business for over 100 years and it might all end with me. My grandfather and my father, a WWII veteran, wouldn’t believe what the government regulations have done to the business they worked so hard to build.” He added, “Fish stocks are back, but tons of imported tilapia are filling in for the lack of healthy local product allowed to be caught and landed”.
The restrictions by the Federal and State government management agencies have not eased even though the fishermen and researchers are indicating that the majority of the commercially valuable stocks have been healthy for decades.
Connecticut: Stonington Fishermen look to Sen. Blumenthal for change
Gambardella Wholesale Seafood used to unload boats every day at the Stonington Pier but now they are lucky if they see two boats a week pull into the harbor. They say federal fishing limits are putting their industry on ice. Joe Bombster who usually hauls in scallops on the Patty Jo says when they fish for Fluke the limits on catches force them to throw back most of it. “Every tow after that you have to just throw them back that amount over the side,” says Bombster. “It’s dead so it serves no purpose at all for anyone.” Additional photos, Read the article here 17:40
