In front of a supportive crowd gathered on a windy day at Tugboats on Hyannis Harbor, John Pappalardo, CEO of Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen’s Alliance, thanked Representative Kip Diggs (D-Barnstable) for showing up for working people and backing his words up with action.
“Today we are here to celebrate something that matters in a real boots on the dock way: strong state support for the folks that keep our working waterfronts alive,” Pappalardo said. “This isn’t just an investment in infrastructure. It’s an investment in working families, in the Cape’s character, and in the future of the communities we love.”
Pappalardo, along with board members and staff from the 35-year-old nonprofit, was accepting $500,000 in state funding championed by Diggs.
“Commercial fishermen are part of our Cape’s economy. This funding reflects the Commonwealth’s commitment to the people that work on the water and make a living. They preserve our marine wildlife and heritage and supply Massachusetts with the freshest, tastiest local seafood,” said Diggs.
High winds and difficult tides meant that fishermen who use the commercial docks across the harbor from the restaurant, as well as those who fish and shellfish from other ports across the peninsula, and those who process and sell their catch to local and national markets, were on hand for the celebration.
The funding supports a variety of projects the Fishermen’s Alliance is involved in, such as a permit bank that leases fishing quota at affordable rates, working waterfront initiatives that identify infrastructure needs, workforce training that includes safety and leadership development, educational initiatives, and the Small Boats, Big Taste program that helps keep fishermen fishing and supplies nutritious, delicious meals to food banks and pantries across the state.
Tom O’Shea, Commissioner of Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game, which oversees the Division of Marine Fisheries, highlighted the importance of many of those programs and commercial fishing.
“Massachusetts has the second highest value of seafood landings in the country next to Alaska,” he said. “We need to be able to invest in the workforce to be able to recruit and train the next generation.”
O’Shea said one of his office’s roles is to bring together fishermen, government and scientists in creative ways.
“You are right at the forefront of that,” O’Shea told Pappalardo.
Pappalardo said that over the past six years, Fishermen’s Alliance’s programs have brought more than $23 million to Cape fishermen and their families.
“For every $100 invested in our staff, we generate $6,178 across the state,” he said.
That wouldn’t be possible without the support of many partners, he said, indicating several partners in the room, including the Blue Economy Foundation and the Brazilian Resource Center. Barnstable Town Council Vice President Kris Clark and Councilor Matthew Levesque were also on hand.
Chris Clark, vice president of finance and operations at Cape Cod Community College, spoke about the college’s ongoing work with the Fishermen’s Alliance.
“It represents a landmark collaboration to strengthen the Cape’s commercial fishing workforce through hands-on industry-driven training,” he said.
Pappalardo acknowledged there was still work to be done on behalf of the industry.
“We also know the headaches all too well — tight dock space, old infrastructure, bigger fights for every square foot of waterfront. Fishermen and processors have been shouting about these issues for years,” he said to nods from commercial fishermen and processors in the audience.
“But with continued state leadership — and champions like Rep. Diggs — we can protect the spaces fishermen rely on and make sure these ports stay working, not just for today, but for the next generation coming up.”
