Tag Archives: gloucester
Groundfish: Council Signs off on Amendment 25; Prepares for December Final Action on Framework 69 Under Cod Phase 1
The New England Fishery Management Council took final action on Amendment 25 to the Northeast Multispecies (Groundfish) Fishery Management Plan (FMP) when it met September 24-26, 2024 in Gloucester, Massachusetts. The Council is now focused on Framework Adjustment 69 to the FMP. The framework is being developed to establish measures for the 2025 groundfish fishing year and, for certain stocks, 2026 and 2027 as well. The Council is scheduled to take final action on the framework at its December 3-5, 2024 meeting in Newport, Rhode Island. The 2025 groundfish fishing year begins on May 1. Charts, links, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:32
‘Wicked Tuna’ to End With Season 13 on National Geographic
“Wicked Tuna” has been canceled by National Geographic following the conclusion of its Season 13 run. “After thirteen seasons on the high seas and more than 200 incredible episodes, the long-running series ‘Wicked Tuna’ has concluded its run on National Geographic,” the cable channel said in a statement Friday. “The series celebrated one of America’s oldest industries since first premiering on National Geographic in 2012 and made internationally recognizable stars out of the intrepid commercial fishermen who brave the unrelenting North Atlantic waters to catch the elusive bluefin tuna. The cancellation of “Wicked Tuna” comes amid major cost cutting at National Geographic parent company Disney, which is consolidating operations among its linear TV networks. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 18:01
“Wicked Tuna” Star Opens Gloucester Fish Market
Reality television personality Dave Marciano opened his new fish market on Gloucester’s waterfront Thursday. Angelica Seafood Market, 52 Rear Commercial St., sells locally caught fish and merchandise from the show Marciano is known for, National Geographic’s “Wicked Tuna.” Despite his star power, Marciano said his market will work toward Gloucester’s greater good just like any other business. “Tourism is part of the fabric of the Gloucester community now,” Marciano said. “So anything, like the many other businesses, that we can add to get people into this town is all a positive.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:09
What You Didn’t Know About the Andrea Gail and ‘Perfect Storm’ Location
In the fall of 1991, a catastrophic storm swept the northeastern coast of the U.S., wreaking havoc along the coast of Massachusetts. The Andrea Gail set out from Gloucester on what was meant to be a month-long fishing trip off the coast of Newfoundland, covering a total of 900 miles. What they didn’t know was that the storm heading up the coast would take the lives of 13 people and cause millions of dollars in damage from Florida all the way up to Nova Scotia. Winds from the storm reached strengths of 120 miles per hour, and when no communication was heard from the 72-foot Andrea Gail, which was right in the center of the storm, the search was called off in a matter of ten days. To this day, the trawler, and its crew, have never been recovered. Here’s what you never knew about the Andrea Gail’s last communication, speculation about what exactly happened, and the haunting clues that have surfaced since. more, >>click to read<< 09:49
Female-run fishing businesses are keeping the industry alive in Gloucester, Mass.
A few local business owners in Gloucester are hoping to expand the image of who is a fisherman. Melissa and Donna Marshall are two of those women. They own Cape Ann Fresh Catch, the largest community-supported fishery in the country. Donna started working with the CSF in 2009 when it was founded. When Melissa took the reins, she expanded Cape Ann Fresh Catch to include a smokehouse, Twin Light Smokehouse. Smoking fish is another way that the CSF can reduce waste. Owner Tessa Browne started Cape Ann Lobstermen in 2017 as a wholesaler of live lobsters and crabs. Video, more, >>click to read<< 08:09
Sam Parisi asks, How Accurate is NOAA and NOAA Fishery Survey Science?
The agency is not required to compare their results with other independent science. The unproven science may bring concern on the health of fish stocks the industry depends upon. Our Fishermen and Fishing Industry depend on sound science. We need a Magnuson Act Amendment which would require NOAA to compare their science with other independent scientific surveys before any restrictions are placed on, or allocation cuts are enacted. Thank you, Sam Parisi. (click here to comment) 07:22Well known and successful Gloucester Fisherman Edmund W. Lakeman has passed away
Edmund W. Lakeman passed away unexpectedly and peacefully in Port Charlotte, FL on Sunday, January 14, 2024. Ned was a well-known and successful commercial fisherman out of Gloucerter, MA and Portland, ME. fishing with his four sons and many others over decades. he was predeceased by his wife, Jacqueline, in April. He was also predeceased by his two sons Larry and Fred. Edmund is survived Hy his sons John Lakeman of Florida and Ned Lakeman of Maine. Edmund has 7 grandchildren and many great-grandchildren, A private service will be announced this summer. >>Link<< 09:40
Captain Darren Stanwood Sr. of Orland, Fla, has passed away
Darren Stanwood Sr. of Orlando, FL, formerly from Gloucester, MA, died on January 9, 2024. He loved and worked at sea. On his last 10-day trip, on the way back to port, he became ill and passed away at the St. Petersburg Hospital in Florida. His final moments were at the sea doing what he loved. He was an accomplished commercial fishing captain. He fished out of Gloucester, the Gulf of Mexico, and the southern Atlantic. His passion was fishing, and he was great at it. He was admired and respected by those who worked with and for him for over 44 years. more, >>click to read<< 08:10
Boat engineer identified as person pulled from harbor on Christmas Eve
A fishing vessel crewmember whose body was pulled from the North Channel of Gloucester Harbor just off the Jodrey State Fish Pier shortly after noon Christmas Eve day has been identified in reports from the Essex County District Attorney’s Office and Gloucester Police. The man who died was 69-year-old Donaldo Thompson who appeared to be from Florida. The investigation remains open pending reports from the state Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Essex DA spokesperson Sharyn Lubas wrote in an email. Thompson served as crewmember and boat engineer aboard the F/V Reliance which was docked at the Jodrey State Fish Pier at the time, according to a Gloucester police report. The vessel, which has been known to fish for menhaden, was tied up at the Jodrey State Fish Pier on Wednesday. 3 photos, more, >>click to read<< 17:38
Firefighters pull deceased male from harbor on Christmas Eve
The Gloucester Fire Department pulled a body from the Inner Harbor in the waters off Jodrey State Fish Pier on Parker Street on Christmas Eve. Fire Deputy Chief Phil Harvey confirmed firefighters removed a deceased person (a male) from the water around 12:14 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 24, after a call came into the department for a person in the water. Harvey said they encountered a language barrier with the caller and the department dispatched its normal rescue response. When firefighters arrived, they found the victim and two firefighters pulled the male from the water in the vicinity of 11 Parker St., a large dockside commercial building on the State Fish Pier. more, >>click to read<< 16:20
Coast Guard Veteran, Retired Commercial Fisherman Vito J. Calomo has passed away
Vito J. Calomo, 79, of Gloucester husband of the late Josephine R. (Curcuru) Calomo passed away peacefully on Friday, December 8, 2023, at Care One at Essex Park Nursing Home in Beverly. He was born in Gloucester on April 19, 1944, son of the late Joseph “Sandy” and Rose M. (Loiacano) Calomo. Vito was a graduate of Gloucester High School, Class of 1962 and later attended North Shore Community College, receiving his associate degree in business. He proudly served in the United States Coast Guard. He had several jobs throughout his life but being on the water as a fishing captain was his greatest passion. He enjoyed flying fish spotting planes, was an avid Red Sox and Patriots fan but most of all was spending time with his grandson and namesake, Vito. more, >>click to read<< 09:35
Gloucester: During protest in harbor, fishermen say fish rules need more leeway
More than 50 people, including fishermen, their families and supporters, stood along Stacy Boulevard in the cold at dusk Wednesday to watch the 96-foot dragger F/V Miss Trish II steam into the Outer Harbor with its crew waving flares in a protest. A couple of smaller fishing vessels followed. The short and peaceful protest was called by Russo, after two trips this fall during which the Massachusetts Environmental Police allege a small percentage of the vessel’s catch was below minimum size, despite, he says, taking steps to follow the rules, including using at-sea monitors and installing cameras on the vessel for a second trip. Russo’s father and owner of the Miss Trish II, Capt. Enzo Russo, and some of the Miss Trish II crew stood along the boulevard in support. “And now the law says we’ve got 100% observers the whole time,” Enzo Russo said. 7 Photos, more, >>click to read<< 10:05
Miss Trish II plans harbor protest of onerous fishing rules
Capt. Lenny Russo of the 96-foot dragger F/V Miss Trish II said he plans to protest peacefully in Gloucester Harbor on Wednesday afternoon over what he describes as onerous fishing regulations. He is inviting other fishermen to join him. His Gloucester attorney, Stephen Ouellette, said the captain “believes he’s being treated unfairly” by “overzealous law enforcement.” Russo said he plans to head the Miss Trish II to Stacy Boulevard about 4 p.m. Wednesday, wave the American and the “Don’t Tread on Me” flags and protest what he said are unfair regulations. more, >>click to read<< 08:41
Fishing Community Mayor, Top Officials Off the Hook in Retaliation Claims
The mayor and other city officials in the fishing community of Gloucester, Massachusetts are protected under qualified immunity against claims by the city’s harbormaster that they violated his First Amendment rights. The harbormaster sued the mayor, city solicitor, chief administrative officer and human resources officer for allegedly violating his free speech rights when they retaliated against him because of expert witness testimony he gave as a private consultant. The First Circuit Court of Appeals said the officials are protected because as public officials they had reasonable concerns that the harbormaster’s testimony against a local boat captain would damage the city’s reputation and relations with the Gloucester fishing community. more, >>click to read<< 07:39
Appeals Court upholds dismissal of Gloucester Harbormaster’s harassment case
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit has affirmed a lower U.S. District Court judge’s ruling dismissing the intentional infliction of emotional distress, First Amendment retaliation and civil rights lawsuit brought by Gloucester Harbormaster Thomas “T.J.”, agreeing that city officials named in the suit were entitled to qualified immunity. In 2021, Ciarametaro, a Coast Guard veteran and reservist who has served as harbormaster since 2016, sued the city, then City Solicitor Charles “Chip” Payson, then Chief Administrative Officer James Destino, Human Resources Director Holly Dougwillo and then Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken. In his suit, Ciarametaro claimed the city officials had “violated his First Amendment rights because they retaliated against him for his expert testimony in a maritime tort dispute between several Gloucester fishermen and the United States Coast Guard,” according to the First Circuit’s decision dated Tuesday, Nov. 28. Photos, more, >>click to read<< 13:31
Limits on ratio of fisherman decried
Gloucester Capt. Salvatore “Sam” Novello who has fished the waters off Gloucester for most of his life, is saying while he can fish, some foreign-born fishermen cannot. A member of the Gloucester Fisheries Commission, Novello said this week the U.S. Coast Guard has recently begun to strictly enforce a rule that limits the number of immigrants who are allowed to fish. The measure, the 75-25 rule, requires that 75% of those crews fishing must be American while only 25% can be foreign. In other words, for every four fishermen, three must be native born and only one can hail from another country. Novello blasted the rule as burdensome, saying it only contributes to a slew of other regulations and fishing limits already imposed by NOAA Fisheries that hamper the fishing industry. “Today, all fishing operations can’t find enough help to go fishing,” he said. “ >>click to read<< 07:21
American Eagle takes Esperanto Cup again
The Adventurer and Calabash were among the schooners that joined the American Eagle in the winner’s circle for the 39th annual Gloucester Schooner Festival races over Labor Day Weekend. The American Eagle captured the marquee Mayor’s Race, winning the Esperanto Cup for large schooners, in an elapsed time of 1 hour, 10 minutes and 49 seconds. >>click to read<< 11:53
Parade of Schooners ‘a real gift’ to Gloucester
Thousands lined Stacy Boulevard from Stage Fort Park to the Fort neighborhood Sunday morning under blue skies with light wind to watch the Parade of Schooners on the final day of Maritime Gloucester’s 39th annual Gloucester Schooner Festival. The event celebrates schooners small, medium and large, including a few historic Gloucester sailing vessels that used to fish for cod on the Grand Banks. Sunday’s schooner event also took place against the backdrop of this being Gloucester’s 400th anniversary as the nation’s oldest seaport. Five schooners sailing in the parade, Thomas E. Lannon, Lewis H. Story, Fame, Isabella and Ardelle were designed and built by 11th generation shipbuilder Harold Burnham in Essex. Photos, >>click to read<< 07:45
Two Friends: A Tragedy In Gloucester
In the summer of 2001, my wife Jan and I lived in a house on the highest point of East Gloucester, known as Beacon Hill. It had once been a visual landmark for ships navigating the approach into Gloucester harbor. One July day as I turned onto East Main, I noticed something that had not been there before, a tall crane behind some buildings. There was the crane and the reason for its presence: a burned-out and rusted fishing trawler pulled up to the shore, its name “Two Friends” still visible on the bow. The boat was being stripped for salvage, and as pieces were severed from above its hull, the crane deposited them in the lot to be hauled away. I found the history of the vessel online, because it had been in the local news and in the courts. 18 Photos, >>click to read<< 18:44
‘Wicked Tuna’ captain honors fallen firefighter
A star of National Geographic’s reality series “Wicked Tuna,” Capt. Dave Marciano of Beverly, fished out a winning raffle ticket at Gloucester Fire Headquarters on Sunday, Aug. 20, to help honor the memory of a fallen Gloucester firefighter. Marciano had donated a half-day charter as part of efforts to honor the late Gloucester firefighter Gregory G. “Headly” Marchant as his family and firefighters plan to travel to Colorado Springs, Colorado, next month to see Marchant’s name added to the wall of the International Association of Fire Fighters’ Fallen Firefighter Memorial. >click to read< 09:11
‘We were never alone, the Coast Guard was always there with us’ — City celebrates Station Gloucester
As Gloucester 400+ committee members and speakers honored the long service of Coast Guard Station Gloucester during an Appreciation Day at the station Friday morning, rain and wind lashed the windows of the mess deck where the ceremony took place. As the squall intensified, the wind drove water under the outside door and onto the floor as if the small boat station on Harbor Loop were taking on water. Some said this symbolized the way Coast Guard Station Gloucester has been watching over Gloucester’s fishing fleet and boaters caught in storms since 1901. and station members appreciated being a part of America’s oldest seaport. Photos, >click to read< 11:52
Hundreds gather to remember those lost at sea
More than 200 people, many family and friends of fishermen who died at sea, listened to the stories of two men who each lost their brothers aboard the trawler Starbound over two decades ago, during the 2023 Fishermen’s Memorial Service along Stacy Boulevard on Saturday afternoon. They reminisced about fishermen who never returned in recent memory and those who died at sea during Gloucester’s 400-year history. Under increasingly cloudy skies against the backdrop of the Outer Harbor, those gathered around the the Man at the Wheel statute of the Fishermen’s Memorial listened to speakers paying tribute to the thousands of men whose names are on the cenotaph. 5 photos, >click to read< 14:15
“Wicked Tuna” and lucky number 13
Number 13 is a fortuitous number for National Geographic’s hit reality television series “Wicked Tuna.” The show is now shooting its 13th season. And it is a lucky number for Gloucester Capt. T.J. Ott of the vessel Hot Tuna who won the title of G.O.A.T. — Greatest of All Time — at the conclusion of season 12 by hooking a total of 13 fish valued at $70,148. He edged out by $218 Beverly’s Capt. Bob Cook who caught a dozen fish valued at $69,930. The hit show, based out of Gloucester, America’s oldest seaport, chronicles a competition among fishermen and fisherwomen in search of giant bluefin tuna. 7 Photos, >click to read< 16:24
Fish tales and tails: Festival celebrates Gloucester Fisheries Heritage
Gloucester’s Jodrey State Fish Pier was hopping this weekend as America’s oldest seaport celebrated its 400+ anniversary during Gloucester Fisheries Heritage Month with a festival. Hundreds took in hands-on demonstrations and exhibits showcasing Gloucester’s part in feeding the world, from net mending to recipes for some of the less well-known species of fish and shellfish landed by the city’s fishermen, during the Gloucester Fisheries Heritage Festival on Saturday and Sunday. >click for 7 photos< 17:38
New Bedford said to be best place for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Is there a better place to site the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Northeast operations than New Bedford? Mayor Jon Mitchell doesn’t think so. And he’s joined in that opinion by a “very broad coalition of business and civic leadership. “Mitchell sent a letter co-signed by more than 50 business and civic leaders to NOAA Administrator Richard Spinrad this month making a pitch to consolidate its Northeast facilities in New Bedford. A similar letter was sent to NOAA in 2016, but recent developments warranted another entreaty. New Bedford’s port accounts for about 70% of the state’s commercial fish landings, according to the letter. While Gloucester hosts most of the NOAA’s facilities regionally, its landings are about one-seventh the size of New Bedford’s. >click to read< 09:54
Gloucester celebrates its finest kind
The launch of Gloucester Fisheries Heritage Month in the city’s 400+ anniversary year in front of the Fishermen’s Memorial on Stacy Boulevard on Tuesday evening celebrated the finest kind of the nation’s oldest fishing port. About 200 people cheered for the fishermen ages 80 and older who sat in the front row of chairs, and who were given a commemorative Gloucester 400+ medal as a way to honor them. “I couldn’t think of any better way to kick off this month than to honor the gentlemen here in front of me. I just want you to know you are all very near and dear to my heart,” said Al Cottone, a commercial fisherman and the executive director of the Gloucester Fisheries Commission. “You blazed the trail for what this industry is and hopefully what it will be in the future, and I just want to say thank you all, and today is for you.” 6 photos, >click to read< 07:47
Gloucester, Massachusetts to celebrate fishing heritage all month
The fishing community always comes together in times of trouble and disaster, but local leaders believe it is time for the community to come together to celebrate the city’s fishing heritage on the occasion of Gloucester’s 400+ anniversary year. In that spirit, August will be proclaimed the Gloucester Fisheries Heritage Month with a public kick-off event this Tuesday, Aug. 1, at 6 p.m. at the Man at the Wheel Statue on Stacy Boulevard along the Inner Harbor. The public is invited to be in attendance along with Mayor Greg Verga, leaders in the fishing community, Gloucester 400+ tri-chairs, and members of the Marine and Waterways Committee. A special commemoration will be presented to senior members of the local fishing fleet. >click to read< 09:52
Gloucester Fishing industry reps raise concerns about wind energy areas
Commercial fisherman Al Cottone, executive director of the Gloucester Fisheries Commission, and Angela Sanfilippo, executive director of the Massachusetts Fishermen’s Partnership and president of the Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Association, outlined the fishing industry’s concerns with offshore wind development. “First of all the construction process, the areas that are going to be used will probably be lost forever for commercial fishing,” Cottone said. “There are going to be a lot of losers when it comes to activity within these areas. You are not going to be able to find an area to put these arrays where someone is not going to lose their ability to fish and make a living,” Cottone said. He said this was a critical time for the local fishing industry. >click to read< 07:46
Sons of fishing family to deliver Stories on Deck in Gloucester
Two brothers, sons of an extended Gloucester Sicilian fishing family, will be the storytellers when Gloucester 400+ presents Stories on Deck this Saturday. Stories on Deck will take place July 15 from 10:30 a.m. to noon on the deck of schooner Adventure, at 23 Harbor Loop, with storytellers Capt. Salvatore “Sam” Novello and his brother Peter Novello. The event is free and no reservations are required. The son of Capt. Joe Novello and Lena (nee Parisi) Novello, Sam Novello is a Vietnam-era Navy veteran, past president of Gloucester Marine Railways Corp., and current president of Gulf of Maine Ocean Resource Alliance. Sam went to sea with his father, uncles, and cousins — more than 100 family members — on family fleet of fishing vessels. >click to read< 12:47
Failure of Doubler-Plated Hull Likely Cause of Sinking of Fishing Vessel
The failure of the doubler-plated hull under the engine room likely caused the flooding and sinking of a fishing vessel near Gloucester, Massachusetts last year, the National Transportation Safety Board said Tuesday. The fishing vessel Grace Marie was transiting to fishing grounds on July 8, 2022, when the engine room began flooding. The seven-person crew was unable to remove the water with the vessel’s bilge pumping system. The crew abandoned the vessel in a life raft and was rescued by a Good Samaritan vessel. The vessel eventually sank and was a total loss valued at $650,000. No injuries were reported. >click to read< 16:00
