Tag Archives: The Long Haul
‘The Long Haul’ looks at the future of Cape fishing
Eight years ago, Pedro Verde, captain of the dragger F/V Blue Ocean, stood on MacMillan Pier and blasted scientists and fisheries regulators for allowing him to fish only 52 days the previous year. He was talking to Sean Corcoran, a reporter at public radio station WCAI who was investigating the decline of the Provincetown dragger fishery. Those reports have now been collected in a book, “The Long Haul: The Future of New England’s Fisheries,” edited by Corcoran and published by Clock & Rose Press in Harwich Port. Read the rest here 19:17
The Long Haul: Shared Hopes for Our Fisheries’ Future
As fishing areas close in the face of dwindling stocks, we look at what the hopes are among fishing folks for the future. In some areas — such as lobsters, scallops and striped bass — there are success stories that can be looked at to determine what is going right. But other areas of the sea are closed, and some wonder if they will stay that way. continued@wcai
Thanks to those who’ve taken our Long Haul poll. What We Agree On: Healthy Oceans, Sustainable Fisheries
Thanks to those who’ve taken our Long Haul poll. You’ve reminded us that, for all our differences, we agree on some fundamental issues in fisheries. continued@wcai
The Long Haul, Part 7 – Investigating Fish Contamination Leads to Questions About Genetics
In a marine biology lab at Roger Williams University, Professor David Taylor placed a small, bite-sized chunk of fish inside a counter-top piece of equipment called a DMA-8 mercury analyzer, continued@wcai
The Long Haul, Part 6 Not Just Fun, Recreational Fishing a Big Business for Massachusetts
Sunrise was half-an-hour off, the sky was brightening, and already fishermen were stationed along the Cape Cod Canal every ten or twenty yards: each a solitary figure, casting, retrieving, and casting again.continued@wcai
The Long Haul Profile –Often what gets left out in discussions of fishing are the families that fishermen leave onshore. The spouse and children, as much as the fishermen themselves, are shaped by an all-consuming job that abounds in uncertainty and risk. link
The Long Haul, Part 5 – Combatting the Sea of Debris
Marine debris is a big issue for fishermen – for environmental, monetary and practical reasons. Things like lost lobster pots, spools of microfilament and lengths of rope are almost all plastics – bad for the ecosystem and its fish.
The Long Haul, Part 4 – Protected Seals Raise Many Questions
In years past, seal hunters received a bounty of five dollars a nose to keep the population in check. Now, seals are federally protected, and their numbers have been steadily rebounding, with many thousands now living in local waters year-round. They’ve become a major tourist attraction, but local fishermen see the seals as just another threat to their livelihoods. continued@wcai
The Long Haul, Part 3 Dwindling Baitfish Stocks Worry Fishermen and Regulators
When it comes to commercial fishing, the little fish are just as important as the big ones. It’s the baitfish—smaller species like river herring and Atlantic herring—that support the entire commercial fishing industry. continued@wcai
The Long Haul: Fishery Regulations: The Double-Edged Sword of a Vague Federal Mandate
At the heart of all contemporary fishing stories – right next to the fishermen, themselves – are the regulations that constrain fishermen’s activities. continued@wcai AUDIO
The Long Haul: What Do New England’s Fisheries Mean to You? Contribute to the Survey
Fill out the survey!
The Long Haul:Cooperative Research Improves Fishery Science and Relationships
Credit WCAI
Heather Goldstone /
Tensions between fishermen and the scientists and managers that oversee their industry are more than just unpleasant. They actually affect the quality of fishery research and management. There’s a catch phrase that’s adorned the tailgates of pick-up trucks up and down the New England coast for years: National Marine Fisheries Service: Destroying Fishermen and Their Communities Since 1976. Joel Hovanesian claims to be the creator of the once-pervasive bumper sticker. listen:continued@wcai
