The TikTok star saving a 400-year-old US tradition
For decades, Maryland has been synonymous with crabbing. But as the Chesapeake Bay’s “watermen” fade away, a young TikTok-famous fisherman is hoping to revive it.It’s 05:00 and still dark when Luke McFadden sets out from Maryland’s Bodkin Point to start his day. His boat, the FV Southern Girl, slowly makes its way down the creek and out into the open waters of the Chesapeake Bay, the largest estuary in the United States. Stretching from the northernmost tip of Maryland down to southern Virginia, the 200-mile-long Chesapeake Bay is made up of 11,684 miles of shoreline (more than the entire US West Coast) and is an integral part of the US Mid-Atlantic’s economy. It also serves as the workplace for thousands of men and women seeking to make a living from its bounty. “Being a crabber is all I’ve ever wanted to do,” McFadden said, leaning against the hull of his boat after a day on the water. On shore, dozens of metal crab traps are stacked to be baited and set across the bay the following morning. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:06
I think it’s pretty cool with Luke is doing. Bringing issues of awareness to the general public. But, there are those of us that attend multiple meetings every month, travel long distances to go to meetings that concern regulations on our industries, and there also organizations that spend a lot of time and a lot of money fighting to keep our seafood industry alive on Delmarva. These people need to be recognized too for standing up in front of Big brother and fighting to keep our industry alive. How about a little recognition on our part, huh ???
Captain. Robert Newberry
Delmarva Fisheries Association Inc