The Blunderin' Background

Fish, fishing, and fisheries have always fascinated me, and for better or worse I've spent much of my life around fish and fishermen (this of course also includes women who fish, but I choose to use this word in place of 'fishers'...no harm intended...) In my early years, enticing fish for fun and for food with rod and reel- or with ice fishing traps in the winter- comprised most of my fishing endeavors. In recent years, my fishing energy has mostly been put towards commercial fishing- catching fish for a livelihood. In most cases, fun and food were also included as part of the deal. For the most part, due to the common use of the word up here in Alaska, when I refer to "fishing" in postings I'll mean commercial fishing.

While fish themselves have always attracted me, so too has the social network which is also a part of all fisheries. I don't mean to make this sound overly academic- I like fishing culture. It's a dynamic world, and while the romance of it all dies off quickly with swollen fingers, lack of sleep, a sore back, and especially salty skippers, there are some great attractions to the work. Don't listen to the Hollywood narrator of The Deadliest Catch - fishing for a living is no way to make quick or easy money. I do think that fishing is integral to life in many coastal communities (especially rural ones), and in this sense, fishing is serious business.

The desire to jump head-first into a thriving, healthy fishery led me from my home state of Maine to Homer, Alaska. From here I've been lucky enough to take part in a number of fisheries in southcentral and western Alaska. I've tried to explore different regions of the state and different modes of catching fish, and so instead of working for a long period on a single boat I've worked for relatively short periods on several different boats. To all the tough-guy fishermen out there: in no way am I trying to brag about my experience or to try to sum up an entire fishery just based on what I've seen or heard. There are far more experienced hands in all of the fisheries I've worked in. This is just one view, although hopefully others will feel free to contribute.

In a nutshell, I think many fisheries can be seen as living entities, having a pulse of their own, and being directly related to the health of coastal communities in which they have direct contact (in addition to catching and distributing valuable, healthy protein worldwide). I am especially motivated to encourage sustainable small-scale fisheries and promote local fisheries jobs and healthy food sources. No doubt I'll occassionally rant and get off-topic, but I intend this blog to be used as a forum to discuss and celebrate fisheries of Alaska, the US, and the world (especially small-scale ones). Feel free to post comments, relevant links, comments, or observations of your own.