Tag Archives: Martha’s Vineyard Fishermen’s Preservation Trust
What happened to the 3,000 pounds of haddock seized in a fish-plant bust?
Acting Colonel Patrick Moran of the Massachusetts Environmental Police had a problem: 3,000 pounds of confiscated haddock on the New Bedford waterfront. The law against undersized catch had been enforced, but now what? Out of a total load of 11,000 pounds that came off the boat, the seized fish had come up short of the required 16-inch length, Moran said at the time. Seized on Thursday, June 20, as Moran was making rounds of local fish processing houses, there it sat in a plant that the MEP declined to name. He knew Shelley Edmundson, a founding member and executive director of the Martha’s Vineyard Fishermen’s Preservation Trust, a nonprofit devoted to sustaining the island’s fishing culture. He made a call. His timing could have been better, and it could have been worse. But, this big load of haddock would be complicated, she said. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:54
Steamship PETA ad roils Islanders
In the hallways of the Steamship Authority (SSA) passenger ferry Martha’s Vineyard, six posters were recently put on display asking passengers a provocative question: “Did your lobster kill a whale?” According to the SSA, the animal rights advocacy organization paid a total of $28,000 to hang their posters through October 31. But the advertisements have incensed some Islanders and local fishermen, who say the local fishing industry is unfairly targeted. Some even point a finger at the Steamship, calling the ferry service hypocritical for allowing the ads when the administration has criticized regulations that would protect right whales. Island lobsterman Wes Brighton called the Steamship Authority “out of touch with the community.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:45
A submerged concern: offshore wind cables
As offshore wind turbines undergo construction in waters south of the Vineyard, and with some already standing and delivering power, the debates on the Island regarding the industry continue. John Keene, president of the Martha’s Vineyard Fishermen’s Preservation Trust, told the Times that some in the fishing industry are nervous about how the electromagnetic field from the cables can affect marine life. Keene said the concern is that the fields emitted from cables could act like a fence, particularly for migratory species, and impact the behavior of marine species. “There’s a lot of unknowns,” he said. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:14
Wind turbines and a shadow over Island fishers
Their boat is named Redemption. And as seventeen-year-old Tegan Gale walked onto the lobster boat docked at Tashmoo landing on a warm March Day, he was thinking about what the boat meant to him and about his future. Tegan says he loves being out on the water, and he wants to keep the family tradition alive, but he’s up against what he sees as big business and a lot of uncertainty. And now, there’s another layer of uncertainty: the new offshore wind industry. Tegan isn’t alone. Several Island fishermen say the new industry has the potential to disrupt their work for years to come. They have questions about the impacts of underwater cables extending from the turbines and dragging nets over the high-voltage wires. They also have fears about the impact to sea life during construction of the offshore wind farms. more, >>click to read<< 13:26
Island Fishermen Unlikely to Benefit from Vineyard Wind Fund
A program aimed at compensating fishermen for lost revenues during the construction and operation of the first offshore wind farm south of the Vineyard will not benefit Island-based fishermen, according to a representative from the Martha’s Vineyard Fishermen’s Preservation Trust. But according to Martha’s Vineyard Fishermen’s Preservation Trust president John Keene, the restrictive requirements to qualify for the fund will leave local fishermen in the lurch. Mr. Keene also noted that money from the fund will go to vessel owner/operators, who are not obligated to distribute funds to their crew. Island fishermen who crew for New Bedford-based vessels as part of the season, therefore, might also be left out of the compensation, even if they work on ships in the lease area. more, >>click to read<< 12:07
Cheers! Local fishing nonprofit receives $50,000 donation
Tito’s Handmade Vodka partnered with the Martha’s Vineyard Fishermen’s Preservation Trust (MVFPT) to fund a new gin boom, a type of hydraulic crane that helps unload heavy catches from fishing vessels. According to Tito’s, the boom will help approximately 25 to 30 commercial fishing businesses, mainly on the Island. But they say it has the potential to help upwards of 100. The boom unveiled in Menemsha during a ceremony last week. MVFPT executive director Shelley Edmundson said that gin booms are critical to the fishing industry. >click to read< 07:52
Anchors aweigh for community seafood pilot program
“Although state and local regulations and federal guidelines have designated fishing operations as essential businesses, many large fish buyers have shut down or are offering prices too low for fishermen to recoup operating expenses and pay crews and other employees,” an MVFPT press release states. “Additionally, with restaurants and wholesale markets closed, many fishermen have [fewer] options to offload product. As a result, many commercial fishing boats have been unable to leave the dock. At the same time, widespread unemployment from lockdown orders have left many communities in greater need of food than in a generation. This project aims to help both the fishing businesses and the community food organizations who are assisting people experiencing food insecurity.” The initial participants in the program are Capt. Sam Hopkins of the FV Endurance and Capt. Wes Brighton of the FV Martha Rose. >click to read< 07:37
Vineyard Wind challenges ‘flawed’ permitting decision
The developer of the first commercial-scale offshore wind project in the US is seeking a ‘superseding order’ to overturn a project application decision by the Edgartown Conservation Commission Vineyard Wind chief development officer Erich Stephens said, “Vineyard Wind always places a priority on working with local communities, and was fully responsive to all information requests received from the Edgartown Conservation Commission.,, Vineyard Wind has also entered into a Host Community Agreement with the Town of Barnstable, and a Community Benefits Agreement with the non-profit energy co-operative Vineyard Power, which serves Martha’s Vineyard. Fishing representatives for the project include the New Bedford Port Authority, the Massachusetts Lobsterman’s Association, and the Martha’s Vineyard Fishermen’s Preservation Trust. >click to read< 08:27
Getting to Know the Fishermen Behind the Boats at Meet the Fleet
Most of the time the Menemsha dock is a quiet place, Captain Wes Brighton said. Fishermen come and go, unloading their catch and setting up to set sail. But on Thursday evening, the dock was bustling with people chatting with fishermen, learning how to fillet, racing crabs and slurping down oysters during the second annual Meet the Fleet. Organized by the Martha’s Vineyard Fishermen’s Preservation Trust, Meet the Fleet was created to draw attention to the Vineyard’s fishing industry and raise money for the organization. Funds go to help start a permit bank, create loans for new fishermen, and change restrictive legislation. This year’s event was in honor of Luke Gurney, a commercial conch fisherman who was swept overboard in June and died. John Keene, the president of the Fishermen’s Preservation Trust, said the absence of Mr. Gurney’s boat, No Regrets, was a noticeable difference this year. Read the story here 09:16
Fishermen’s Trust Looks to the Future
After a strong year, the Martha’s Vineyard Fishermen’s Preservation Trust is pressing ahead with its mission to support commercial fishermen on the Island. On Tuesday, eight of the nine board members attended a meeting of the Chilmark selectmen to seek further support.“We have accomplished as much as we possibly can do in a volunteer setting,” board member and commercial fisherman Wes Brighton said, emphasizing the need for funding and other support to help attract young fishermen and sustain the industry. The Island fleet has struggled in the face of increasing costs and regulations in recent years. Read the article here 15:38
Last Groundfish Permit Stays on Martha’s Vineyard, Though Unicorn Days Are Numbered
The Nature Conservancy, working with the Martha’s Vineyard Fishermen’s Preservation Trust, has purchased the Island’s last historic groundfish permit, marking a major milestone in the trust’s efforts to develop a permit bank to support Island fishermen. The federal , also known as a groundfish permit, was held by Greg Mayhew, owner of the Unicorn, a legendary 75-foot dragger out of Menemsha. He declined to comment on the cost of the permit, saying only that prices for fishing permits can range from $20,000 to $2 million. Read the rest here 20:14
Plenty of Fish in the Sea, But Red Tape Keeps Them There
Across the harbor, the famed Unicorn dragger, now rusted and unseaworthy, glowed in the sunlight, a reminder of brighter days for the Island fishing industry. The decay of the Unicorn, and that of her sister ship, the Quitsa Strider II (now gone), has little to do with a lack of fish, Mr. Brighton said. Instead, he said, the main struggle for fishermen these days involves the array of state and federal regulations and the ever-increasing costs associated with a way of life as old as the Island itself. “It’s because we lost our access to those fish,” Read the rest here 10:25
Fishermen Plan to Hold Summer Event at Menemsha
The Martha’s Vineyard Fishermen’s Preservation Trust will host its first ever Meet the Fleet event this summer in Menemsha to showcase the Island’s working waterfront. “We hope to just educate the public — just the struggles and the reasons why the fisheries are in the state they are in,” Mr. Keene said. “And then the positive side to what our group is trying to do.” He hoped the event would allow people to meet the fisherman “and get a personal side to the whole industry.” Read the rest here 11:20
