Tag Archives: Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Association
Fishing advocates alarmed at offshore wind development
The Massachusetts Fishermen’s Partnership is urging lawmakers to reconsider the Gulf of Maine Offshore Wind Lease because of its effect on marine life, ecosystems and fishing communities. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management held a lease sale in the fall and selected nearly $22 million in winning bids from two businesses to develop wind power in four lease areas off the coast of New England. Gloucester’s Angela Sanfilippo, executive director of the Massachusetts Fishermen’s Partnership and president of the Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Association, wants to sound the alarm not only among lawmakers but the public as well, questioning who really benefits from this move. “It is with a broken heart that I am sending this message,” she said. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:49
Massachusetts fishermen say feds are hypocritical in Gulf of Maine wind energy designation
A move to designate two million acres in the Gulf of Maine as a hub for wind energy is snagging a sharp hook from Massachusetts fishermen who say the development overlooks risks to the North Atlantic right whale. A handful of Bay State fishermen advocacy groups are teaming with counterparts from across New England in criticizing the Biden administration’s plans to industrialize the area off the coasts of Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine. Fishermen, however, say the industrialization of the two-million-acre area is “flatly inconsistent with a policy of endangered species protection.” “Fishermen are disheartened that the WEA designation favors foreign energy developers over marine mammal protection,” the Gulf of Maine Fishing Associations said in a statement last week. “This preferential treatment is in stark contrast to the federal government’s aggressive campaign to burden commercial fishing needlessly with crushing restrictions to protect whales.” more, >>click to read<< 08:43
Seafood Day 2023 to celebrate Bay State’s fishing industry
In a building on Beacon Hill where a carved wooden effigy of an Atlantic cod known as the “Sacred Cod” hangs in the House of Representatives’ chamber, an event at the Statehouse on Wednesday, Oct. 25, plans to celebrate the importance of the seafood industry to the Bay State and coastal communities such as Gloucester, America’s oldest seaport. Seafood Day 2023 at the Statehouse is designed to highlight the fact that for generations, the seafood industry has contributed to Massachusetts’ food security while employing tens of thousands of workers and promoting tourism in coastal towns, organizers say. That’s why several organizations are teaming up to celebrate the sea’s bounty and the fishermen who catch it with an event from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Hall of Flags of the Statehouse in Boston. >>click to read<< 10:07
‘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
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
Sanfilippo invited to Rose Garden for salmon fight
For more than a decade Angela Sanfilippo, president of the Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Association, has helped advocate for the cause to protect Bristol Bay in Southwest Alaska and the world’s largest sockeye salmon fishery from a proposed open-pit gold and copper mining project near the bay’s headwaters. She did so even though Gloucester, the nation’s oldest seaport, and Bristol Bay are some 3,600 miles apart on opposite coasts of the United States. On Thursday at 4 p.m., Sanfilippo attended a celebration in the Rose Garden of the White House that marked the protection of Bristol Bay from the Pebble Mine project. Sanfilippo recalls being contacted by Katherine Carscallen of Dillingham, Alaska, who today is the director of the Commercial Fishermen for Bristol Bay and a salmon fisher as captain of the F/V Sea Hawk. >click to read< 07:33
16-hour Coast Guard tow brings F/V Miss Trish II home
The crew of a Gloucester fishing vessel spent about 12 hours adrift far from shore after its transmission failed and before the Coast Guard towed it home. Coast Guard officials, responding to an emergency call from the Miss Trish II were able to reach the boat about 75 miles offshore over the weekend and tow her safely back to port. Jim Bridges, commanding officer at U.S. Coast Guard Station Gloucester said none of the six men aboard the Miss Trish II were injured during the incident. Crew on the Miss Trish II called the Coast Guard around 5 p.m. Saturday, Bridges said, indicating the ship’s engine would not start. >click to read< 18:34
Massachusetts Seafood Collaborative calls for sanctions on Russian fish imports
The Boston-based Massachusetts Seafood Collaborative, which has several Gloucester members, is calling for sanctions to take a bite out of Russian fish imports because of the war in Ukraine. The collaborative, which counts the Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Association as a member, said that in 2021, the U.S. imported $4 billion worth of Russian fish for processing, leading directly to jobs and paychecks for Massachusetts residents. “Though Russia blocks imports of American fish,” the collaborative said, “our commitment to free trade and open markets allowed this one-sided relationship to bear fruit. The invasion of Ukraine by Russia has forced our industry and our nation to decide between our ideals and our wallets.”>click to read< 08:42
Light shows to honor Gloucester fishermen’s wives
Twenty years ago on the morning of Aug. 5, Angela Sanfilippo, president of the Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Association, was attending to the final details of the public dedication celebration of the 12-foot Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Memorial on Stacy Boulevard along Gloucester’s historic harbor. Her joy would soon turn to utter despair. “We had a wonderful event planned but it was very painful because we lost a boat that day,” she recalled. Early that morning, the Gloucester fishing vessel Starbound was struck by a freighter; one crewman survived and three died at sea. “It wasn’t easy that day but we carried on and we wanted to acknowledge the pain of the widows. As women in the fishing industry, we carry on to help with the needs of fishermen, their families and the community. That comes with the title of being a fisherman’s wife,” >click to read< 07:50
‘This film is a love letter to Gloucester’ – Sundance winner ‘CODA’ premieres before local crowd
The charms of Gloucester exploded on the big screen at the local unveiling of the film “CODA,” a four-time winner at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. The special event Thursday evening, intended for those who worked or assisted in some way with the film, turned out to be “the” premiere after director Sian Heder learned that the West Coast screening was canceled.,, Heder thanked everyone involved in the film and the support of her family. “You don’t make a movie alone, and this was not an easy film to make,” she told the full house. “All this fishing stuff is such a crazy undertaking.” >click to read< 09:35
From Oregon to Massachusetts, fishermen’s wives associations are the backbones of their communities
In spring 2020, the fishing community of Newport, Oregon, shuttered along with the rest of the country. A coronavirus outbreak at a local Pacific Seafood processing plant left fishermen sitting on docks with no buyers for their Dungeness crabs, while restaurants closed and families found themselves housebound. That’s when Taunette Dixon and her organization, the Newport Fishermen’s Wives, stepped in.,,, In Massachusetts, the Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Association was founded in 1969. “We were shore captains,” said Angela Sanfilippo. “We would make sure when the boats came in, they’d get everything they needed so they could go back out the next morning at 2.30. The wife would be responsible to make sure these things happened. As their wives, we knew more than them.” >click to read< 11:32
Fishermen look to DC delegation for aid, Fish bill like farm bill touted, but monitoring costs biggest concern
Former fisherman Sam Parisi appeared before the city Fisheries Commission on Thursday night to tout his campaign for national legislation to help fishermen as the federal Farm Bill helps farmers. “We need someone to draft a fish bill like the farm bill,” Parisi told the commission members at City Hall.,, The commission members, in the end, decided the best course is to work with Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken to set up a meeting — a fish summit of sorts,,, >Click to read< 13:06
December 15, 2017 – Lets meet and build a consensus to have Congress enact a U.S. Fisheries Bill – Sam Parisi >click to read Sam Parisi’s posts<
Tide turning on wearing safety gear – Campaign says lobstermen listening
On Wednesday, Carpenter stopped by the Everett R. Jodrey State Fish Pier to check out the 11 different varieties of personal flotation devices available for inspection and purchase as part of the Lifejackets for Lobstermen campaign being run by the Northeast Center for Occupational Health and Safety. The campaign, designed to convince more commercial lobstermen to wear personal flotation devices while fishing, has spent the summer in 40 lobstering communities up and down the New England coast. Photo’s, >click to read< 15:18
HR-200 – Gloucester fishermen ‘desperate’ for federal bill to ease catch limits
A bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives earlier this week is being cheered by fishermen in Gloucester who are hoping for a lifeline for the struggling industry. “It’s desperate. We are in a desperate situation. We need a change,” said Angela Sanfilippo, president of the Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Association. “It’s a good start.” The new law would allow more flexibility for fish populations to be rebuilt, and give more authority to the regional fishery management councils, which may be more in touch with the local industry.,,, Fishermen in Gloucester say the industry is in danger of disappearing without changes. “We’re down to about 60 fishermen, and every day it gets worse,” Sam Parisi said. >click to read<13:14
Gloucester to attend Super Bowl of fish
The city will make its fourth consecutive foray into one of the world’s largest seafood shows in March, once again looking to expand its Gloucester Fresh brand and generate business for local seafood companies The city will host its Gloucester Fresh pavilion at the Seafood Expo North America/Seafood Processing North America show at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. It plans to offer tastings of fresh local seafood and provide facilities to put local companies directly in touch with buyers from all over the world. click here to read the story 09:25
Honors planned for Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Association president
Angela Sanfilippo, president of the Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Association, will be the guest of honor at the Sea to Supper Celebration at 6 p.m. Aug. 24 at the Mile Marker One Restaurant & Bar, 75 Essex St., in the Cape Ann Marina Resort.,, Proceeds benefit nonprofit Fishing Partnership Support Services, which Sanfilippo helped found in the late ’90s, and on whose board of directors she has served ever since. Fishing Partnership Support Services helps commercial fishermen and their families through a variety of free services — from safety trainings, to health coverage enrollment assistance, to disaster relief support.,, While honoring Sanfilippo, the Sea to Supper Celebration will also highlight the contributions commercial fishermen have made to coastal communities and to the health of seafood consumers, according to J.J. Bartlett, president of Fishing Partnership Support Services. Tickets are available with links in the article 16:38
PARRI to offer Narcan training for fishermen
John Rosenthal, Co-founder and Chairman of the Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative (P.A.A.R.I.), Allie Hunter McDade, Executive Director of P.A.A.R.I., Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken and Police Chief John McCarthy are pleased to announce that the City of Gloucester, in conjunction with the Fishing Partnership Support Services, Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Association and the Coast Guard, will offer CPR, first aid and nasal naloxone training to commercial fisherman on Friday, March 31. Approximately 40 fishermen will attending the CPR/first aid course, which will include a segment where they learn how to recognize and respond to an opioid overdose, including how to administer nasal Narcan, which will then become another staple instrument included in their first aid kits. continue reading the story here 08:38
‘Dead in the Water’ – New film chronicles the spiraling decline of Gloucester’s fishing industry
It’s now been more than three years since David Wittkower, struck by the spiraling decay of the Gloucester groundfishing fleet, decided to make a film chronicling its decline from the robust fleet he remembered as a kid growing up in Rockport. The making of Wittkower’s film, “Dead in the Water,” as with nearly every film project ever devised, has been an arduous slog through an endless array of creative decisions and more earthly problems—chief among them how to raise enough money to create the film the Los Angeles-based director first envisioned. Now, with the assistance of the Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Association and generous benefactors throughout Cape Ann, Wittkower is closing in on having enough capital to finish the film and assemble a working print, possibly by as early as Thanksgiving. Read the story here 09:47
Gloucester’s Angela Sanfilippo, A Fisherman’s Wife, named to Seafood Hall of Fame
Angela Sanfilippo has spent this week, just as she did last year, helping plan the annual foray by the city and its fishing community into Sunday’s fifth Boston Seafood Festival. This year, however, will be different. While the Gloucester contingent will be dishing out its wildly popular redfish soup, Sanfilippo will also be on the receiving end of a distinctive honor when she is ushered into the Boston Seafood Hall of Fame at the festival’s opening ceremony on the Boston Fish Pier. “I was surprised and pleased at the same time,” Sanfilippo said Wednesday. “I had no idea.”Citing her life’s work as an unwavering voice of the Gloucester and Massachusetts fishing communities, the Boston Fisheries Foundation said her induction is due to her role with the Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Association (GFWA) and the Fishing Partnership Support Services as a “tireless protector” of the oceans those communities rely upon. Read the story here 21:35
New manual outlines steps for fishermen, communities to take in crisis
The concept first began to crystallize in Angela Sanfilippo’s mind about four years ago, when the president of the Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Association realized she needed to start putting some things down on paper. Sanfilippo, both in her roles with fishing-based community groups and her own experience as a wife, daughter and sister of fishermen, had helped develop a series of protocols to help fishermen avoid calamities on the water and help the Gloucester fishing community deal with fishing tragedies when they occur. “I just thought that we should start putting these things in writing because we’re not going to be around forever,” Sanfilippo said. Thus was born the idea that burst into reality yesterday when the Fishing Partnership Support Services unveiled its RESCUES manual in an event at the U.S. Coast Guard’s Station Gloucester. Read the rest here 22:50
Cape Ann Fresh Catch, Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Association open kitchen
The 1,300-square-foot shop, owned by Intershell owner Monte Rome, ultimately will house two organizations: the well-established Cape Ann Fresh Catch, a membership-driven seafood sharing program, and the new Cape Ann Fresh Food. The latter, in association with the Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Association, will serve as a retailer and caterer to the public of both seafood and other items. Read the rest here 12:36
Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Association in full battle mode for the Gulf of Maine fishery – Reinforcements needed
“Right now, John Bullard is thinking about what he is going to do,” Angela Sanfilippo, president of the Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Association told a small group of fishermen this week. “We need to remind him that people like you are going to be greatly affected by this.” “We need to make people understand that this is going to kill the industry,” she said. “This will be the last nail in the coffin and every day it’s moving closer and closer.” Read the rest here 08:50
GDT Editorial: A deserving ‘fishermen’s friend’ – Angela Sanfilippo “a tireless crusader”
Each year, the New Bedford-based Offshore Mariners’ Wives Association presents perhaps New England’s most prestigious award honoring those who have contributed to the fishing industry across the state and the region. And the list of past winners is exclusive, including the likes of the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, now-retired Congressman Barney Frank, and yes; our own late Richard Gaines. more@GDT 07:37
Continental divide? Building the Fishery Bridge from New England to Alaska – Sharing concerns for fisheries
Fishermen from Gloucester and Alaska fish drastically different areas during different times of the year, but one thing is for certain: They’re all in the same boat when it comes to defending and protecting an industry under siege from many sides. That was one of the messages echoed Friday when Katherine Carscallen, captain of the fishing vessel Sea Hawk based out of Dillingham, Alaska, met with Gloucester fishermen and supporters of the commercial fishermen at a get-together organized by Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Association President Angela Sanfilippo. Read more here
