Uncovering the secret lives of bay scallops – Fisherman Todd Corayer

7fcf337007d41645afe93877921f1d52Saturday last opened another sagging season steeped in stories of great harvests, piles of bushels of glistening shells and an aging promise of a paycheck by noon. While the fleet worked hard October bottom offshore, baymen rowed dories and sailed skiffs to drag dredges with rusty iron teeth meant for scanning sandy bottom teeming with shellfish that swim. The season was a savior for working men and women who relied on some endless bounty but history shows natural cycles, habitat degradation and the heavy hand of man all pressed on a tiny mollusk, the bay scallop.,, All those big houses trimmed in “Hey, Look At Me Outside White”, the ones with fine lawns of thick manicured grass sloping right to the bay, thoroughly soaked with nitrogen-based fertilizer to support canvas cocktail party shoes and beliefs that turfing Nature’s intentions for habitat and sustenance is the best decision, well they are polluting our waters and contributing to the demise of bay scallops. Todd Corayer is a lifelong fisherman who lives not far from the Saugatucket River with his wife, who supports his fishing mainly to get him out of the house and a young son who regularly catches more fish than him. Read the story here 08:36

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.