The fish seem to be settling into a fairly normal summer pattern lately, unlike most of their human counterparts. Striped bass can be found in good numbers from the Cottages […]
Fisheries
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
A Surreal Fourth on the Waterfront
The good news is that the whales are back
This Fourth of July on the waterfront was certainly different than any other I have experienced in all my years here. The vibe was low-key, and it was very sad […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
Big Stripers Are Caught — and Thrown Back
New rules put 35-inch upper limit on striped bass keepers
Things are beginning to look a little more normal on the waterfront. More and more boats are starting to open up and operate. The Bay Lady began sailing tours, and […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
While Waiting for Fish, We Count Sharks, Deer, and Coyotes
Not many stripers or blues, but the flounder are fat and fine
The Provincetown waterfront remains quiet, as commercial fishing boats go about their business of lobstering and scalloping, but the rest of the fleet is essentially tied to the dock waiting for […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
What Not to Eat, or Be Eaten By
The seals and sharks return, and pufferfish appear
PROVINCETOWN — The hot news on the waterfront this week is that the seals are back, and so are the white sharks. A gray seal with a rather large shark […]
ON THE WATERFRONT
Attorney for Fishermen Goes After Pier Corp.
Meeting on June 11 could be a showdown
PROVINCETOWN — An attorney for two fishermen whose dockage fees were raised this year is charging the Public Pier Corp. with Open Meeting Law violations and with changing the rules […]
SHELLFISHING
Seasonal Permits Are Banned in Wellfleet
But more costly year-round licenses remain an option
WELLFLEET — Vacationers and visitors received another blow from the select board last week — a ban on seasonal recreational shellfishing permits. On top of the short-term rentals ban through […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
A Slow Start for a Better Protected Harbor
The new wave attenuator has increased safety
Memorial Day weekend has come and gone, and all the questions about how busy the waterfront would be have now been answered. It’s not looking good. On top of the Covid-19-related […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
DMF Lifts Gear and Speed Restrictions in Bay
Right whales have departed, but two blues are seen
PROVINCETOWN — The much quieter than normal waterfront businesses are anxiously waiting to see what Gov. Baker does with the current stay-at-home and social distancing policies. It has given boat […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
A Short Fishing Season Grows Shorter
Small boat captains say ‘no way’ to distancing rule
PROVINCETOWN — The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is no closer to opening up nonessential businesses and relaxing social distancing rules than it was a week ago. Last week, I wrote about how […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
With Fishing on Hold, a Bivalve Bonus Appears
In a spring like no other, sea clams are a welcome sight
Spring has been a very confused season so far. As I write this, snow is falling in the western hills of Massachusetts as well as my winter home in the […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
Early Start to a Season in Doubt
The view from the water of a changed world for fishermen
As we begin another season on the waterfront, it would be an understatement to say its start, if it ever happens, won’t look like any other previous season’s start. Our […]
RESILIENCE
Local Food Producers Search for Ways to Serve and Survive
Right now, generosity and hyperlocal service are top strategies
WELLFLEET — With restaurants closed, fishermen have lost their usual income. But the people who grow, harvest, and market Outer Cape crops from land and sea are experimenting with strategies […]
SHELLFISHING
Eastham Mussels, Once Abundant, Are Harder to Find
Part one of a two-part story on the Outer Cape’s mussel fishery
EASTHAM — Mussels are a wild fishery on Cape Cod. That is, if you’re eating a locally harvested mussel, nature did the planting and cultivation. Some are wondering if shellfish […]
CEPHALOPODS
The Long and Shortfin Year in Squid
With scientific squidbits from the decade that was
“They showed up early and left quickly,” said a Provincetown harbormaster. “Shortfin squid are everywhere,” said Owen Nichols of the Center for Coastal Studies. “For longfin, the Nantucket Sound fishery […]
