PEI lobster fishers are passing tradition down the line

// custom header art window.tgam.meta.photo_desktop = "https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/pei-lobster/photos/peilobster-1h2.jpg"; window.tgam.meta.photo_mobile = "https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/pei-lobster/photos/peilobster-1v.jpg"; // editable custom header parameters window.tgam.meta.headline_overlay_vertical_position_desktop = "top"; window.tgam.meta.headline_overlay_horizontal_position_desktop = "centre"; window.tgam.meta.headline_overlay_vertical_position_mobile = "top"; window.tgam.meta.headline_overlay_gradient = false; window.tgam.meta.centre_headline = true; window.tgam.meta.large_headline = false; window.tgam.meta.label_text_colour = ""; window.tgam.meta.label_box_colour = "#a00f19"; window.tgam.meta.banner_overlay_gradient = false; window.tgam.meta.headline_overlay_gradient_opacity = ""; // editable custom header display overrides window.tgam.meta.display_head = "In the same boat"; window.tgam.meta.display_deck = "On Prince Edward Island, lobster fishing is a family affair"; window.tgam.meta.label = "Underexposed"; window.tgam.meta.byline = "Photography and story by Nathan Rochford"; window.tgam.meta.byline2 = ""; window.tgam.meta.creditline = "The Globe and Mail"; // non-editable custom header parameters - PLEASE DO NOT TOUCH window.tgam.meta.headline_overlay = true; window.tgam.meta.two_column = false; window.tgam.meta.swap_column = false; window.tgam.meta.full_width = true; window.tgam.meta.narrow_width = false; window.tgam.meta.dark_background = true; window.tgam.meta.dark_background_colour = "#0a0a0a"; window.tgam.meta.sans_headline = false; window.tgam.meta.label_text_colour_overlay = "" ; window.tgam.meta.label_box_colour_overlay = "#a00f19"; window.tgam.meta.audio_bar = false; window.tgam.meta.banner = true; window.tgam.meta.banner_border = false; window.tgam.meta.banner_overlay_dark = false; window.tgam.meta.caption_background_colour = ""; window.tgam.meta.caption_text_colour = ""; window.tgam.meta.full_height = true; // gi lazy images window.lazySizesConfig = window.lazySizesConfig || {}; Object.assign(window.lazySizesConfig, { lazyClass: "gi-lazyimage", loadedClass: "gi-lazyimage--loaded", loadingClass: "gi-lazyimage--loading", preloadClass: "gi-lazyimage--preload", errorClass: "gi-lazyimage--error", autosizesClass: "gi-lazyimage--autosizes", expand: 1000 }); const gi_content = ` series: true [content] :skip ****** series box ****** :endskip [.slide] type: series [] :skip ****** standalone text ****** :endskip [.slide] type: text [.text] [.+paragraphs] One of Charlie McGeoghegan’s earliest memories of lobster fishing is going out from the Pinette wharf with his father, Mike McGeoghegan. At that time, his father fished from an open boat, meaning there was no cabin to shelter them from the elements. It was powered by a gas engine from a half-ton truck. For food, they’d wrap bran muffins in tin foil and heat them on the exhaust manifold. [] [] [] :skip ****** diptych ****** :endskip [.slide] type: diptych mobile-aspect-ratio: 1-1 desktop-aspect-ratio: 1-1 map: [.diptych] photo-1-sm: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/pei-lobster/photos/peilobster-2sm.jpg photo-1-lg: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/pei-lobster/photos/peilobster-2lg.jpg caption-1: The retired wooden fishing boat Mike McGeoghegan hand-built in 1984, named after his son Charlie. credit-1: audio-1: audio-1-label: audio-1-description: photo-2-sm: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/pei-lobster/photos/peilobster-3sm.jpg photo-2-lg: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/pei-lobster/photos/peilobster-3lg.jpg caption-2: credit-2: audio-2: audio-2-label: audio-2-description: [] [.text] [.+paragraphs] Like a lot of rural Prince Edward Islanders, Charlie grew up on fishing boats. His father, a former member of the U.S. Navy, started taking him out on the boat at age 5. By the time Charlie was a teenager, his path was set. [] [.+paragraphs] “I liked fishing right off the bat,” says the current chair of Lobster Fishers of PEI. “I knew when I was in school that’s what I was going to be doing when I grew up.” [] [] [] :skip ****** photo ****** :endskip [.slide] type: photo photo-sm: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/pei-lobster/photos/peilobster-4sm.jpg photo-lg: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/pei-lobster/photos/peilobster-4lg.jpg photo-xl: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/pei-lobster/photos/peilobster-4xl.jpg fullscreen-mobile: false fullscreen-desktop: false mobile-aspect-ratio: 4-3 desktop-aspect-ratio: 4-3 caption: credit: audio: audio-label: audio-description: [.text] [.+paragraphs] Now 51, he is watching his three children, Stephen, Daniel and Courtney, become the third generation of McGeoghegans to make a living fishing. [] [] [] :skip ****** diptych ****** :endskip [.slide] type: diptych mobile-aspect-ratio: 1-1 desktop-aspect-ratio: 1-1 map: [.diptych] photo-1-sm: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/pei-lobster/photos/peilobster-5sm.jpg photo-1-lg: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/pei-lobster/photos/peilobster-5lg.jpg caption-1: Daniel and Stephen load lobster traps onto the boat. Each trap weighs about 140 pounds dry. credit-1: audio-1: audio-1-label: audio-1-description: photo-2-sm: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/pei-lobster/photos/peilobster-6sm.jpg photo-2-lg: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/pei-lobster/photos/peilobster-6lg.jpg caption-2: Courtney Stevenson, Charlie's daughter, carries buoys to attach to lobster traps. credit-2: audio-2: audio-2-label: audio-2-description: [] [.text] [.+paragraphs] [] [] [] :skip ****** diptych ****** :endskip [.slide] type: diptych mobile-aspect-ratio: 4-3 desktop-aspect-ratio: 4-3 map: [.diptych] photo-1-sm: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/pei-lobster/photos/peilobster-7sm.jpg photo-1-lg: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/pei-lobster/photos/peilobster-7lg.jpg caption-1: Charlie's wife, Connie McGeoghegan. credit-1: audio-1: audio-1-label: audio-1-description: photo-2-sm: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/pei-lobster/photos/peilobster-8sm.jpg photo-2-lg: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/pei-lobster/photos/peilobster-8lg.jpg caption-2: Brothers Daniel, left, and Stephen at the wharf. Both of them, and their father and grandfather were all were competitive arm wrestlers. credit-2: audio-2: audio-2-label: audio-2-description: [] [.text] [.+paragraphs] [] [] [] :skip ****** standalone text ****** :endskip [.slide] type: text [.text] [.+paragraphs] Lobster fishing is traditional here, in some cases – such as among the Mi’kmaq, who have two reserves on the island – stretching back thousands of years. [] [] [] :skip ****** diptych ****** :endskip [.slide] type: diptych mobile-aspect-ratio: 4-3 desktop-aspect-ratio: 4-3 map: [.diptych] photo-1-sm: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/pei-lobster/photos/peilobster-9sm.jpg photo-1-lg: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/pei-lobster/photos/peilobster-9lg.jpg caption-1: credit-1: audio-1: audio-1-label: audio-1-description: photo-2-sm: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/pei-lobster/photos/peilobster-10sm.jpg photo-2-lg: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/pei-lobster/photos/peilobster-10lg.jpg caption-2: credit-2: audio-2: audio-2-label: audio-2-description: [] [.text] [.+paragraphs] Multigenerational fishing families are common in Prince Edward Island. Passing the work to younger generations is important in an industry that has a disproportionate number of older workers compared with other maritime industries. [] [] [] :skip ****** diptych ****** :endskip [.slide] type: diptych mobile-aspect-ratio: 1-1 desktop-aspect-ratio: 1-1 map: [.diptych] photo-1-sm: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/pei-lobster/photos/peilobster-11sm.jpg photo-1-lg: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/pei-lobster/photos/peilobster-11lg.jpg caption-1: Stephen and Charlie inspect lobsters for eggs. Female lobsters with eggs have to be returned to the sea as part of conservation practices. credit-1: audio-1: audio-1-label: audio-1-description: photo-2-sm: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/pei-lobster/photos/peilobster-28sm.jpg photo-2-lg: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/pei-lobster/photos/peilobster-28lg.jpg caption-2: credit-2: audio-2: audio-2-label: audio-2-description: [] [.text] [.+paragraphs] [] [] [] :skip ****** photo ****** :endskip [.slide] type: photo photo-sm: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/pei-lobster/photos/peilobster-13sm.jpg photo-lg: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/pei-lobster/photos/peilobster-13lg.jpg photo-xl: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/pei-lobster/photos/peilobster-13xl.jpg fullscreen-mobile: false fullscreen-desktop: false mobile-aspect-ratio: 3-4 desktop-aspect-ratio: 4-3 caption: Allan Coady's father-in-law, Jack Myers, fishing lobster in 1953. credit: audio: audio-label: true audio-description: [.text] [.+paragraphs] Allan Coady didn’t follow in his father’s footsteps, but his is a family affair nonetheless. His introduction was through his father-in-law, Jack Myers. [] [] [] :skip ****** photo ****** :endskip [.slide] type: photo photo-sm: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/pei-lobster/photos/peilobster-14sm.jpg photo-lg: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/pei-lobster/photos/peilobster-14lg.jpg photo-xl: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/pei-lobster/photos/peilobster-14xl.jpg fullscreen-mobile: false fullscreen-desktop: false mobile-aspect-ratio: 3-4 desktop-aspect-ratio: 4-3 caption: credit: audio: audio-label: true audio-description: [.text] [.+paragraphs] Allan began fishing after a career as a truck driver, and enjoyed the work so much that when Jack was ready to retire, Allan bought his licence. From 1991 on, he’s fished out of Covehead Harbour with his daughter, Alyssa, and son, Bryce. [] [] [] :skip ****** diptych ****** :endskip [.slide] type: diptych mobile-aspect-ratio: 4-3 desktop-aspect-ratio: 4-3 map: [.diptych] photo-1-sm: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/pei-lobster/photos/peilobster-15sm.jpg photo-1-lg: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/pei-lobster/photos/peilobster-15lg.jpg caption-1: Alyssa Coady heads out from Covehead Harbour. credit-1: audio-1: audio-1-label: audio-1-description: photo-2-sm: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/pei-lobster/photos/peilobster-16sm.jpg photo-2-lg: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/pei-lobster/photos/peilobster-16lg.jpg caption-2: Bryce Coady, left, with his father. credit-2: audio-2: audio-2-label: audio-2-description: [] [.text] [.+paragraphs] “We’ve been together a long time,” Allan said. “I love it. It’s a good time together and I look forward to it every season.” [] [.+paragraphs] After decades on the water, both Bryce and Alyssa share a love for the profession. “We’re fourth generation,” said Bryce. “It’s a passion and you keep making old generations proud.” [] [] [] :skip ****** photo ****** :endskip [.slide] type: photo photo-sm: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/pei-lobster/photos/peilobster-17sm.jpg photo-lg: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/pei-lobster/photos/peilobster-17lg.jpg photo-xl: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/pei-lobster/photos/peilobster-17xl.jpg fullscreen-mobile: false fullscreen-desktop: false mobile-aspect-ratio: 3-4 desktop-aspect-ratio: 4-3 caption: credit: audio: audio-label: true audio-description: [.text] [.+paragraphs] “There’s an element of tradition,” said Ed MacDonald, professor emeritus at the University of Prince Edward Island. “This is something with deep roots.” According to MacDonald, an Island historian, fishing in PEI initially boomed in the 1870s when canning technology made a commercial fishery possible. Prior to this advancement, fishers primarily had to sell locally. [] [] [] :skip ****** photo ****** :endskip [.slide] type: photo photo-sm: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/pei-lobster/photos/peilobster-18sm.jpg photo-lg: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/pei-lobster/photos/peilobster-18lg.jpg photo-xl: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/pei-lobster/photos/peilobster-18xl.jpg fullscreen-mobile: false fullscreen-desktop: false mobile-aspect-ratio: 3-4 desktop-aspect-ratio: 4-3 caption: credit: audio: audio-label: true audio-description: [.text] [.+paragraphs] During this boom, fishing was an inexpensive way for farmers to supplement their income. They could go fish in the morning and attend to their farming duties in the afternoon and evening. [] [] [] :skip ****** photo ****** :endskip [.slide] type: photo photo-sm: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/pei-lobster/photos/peilobster-19sm.jpg photo-lg: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/pei-lobster/photos/peilobster-19lg.jpg photo-xl: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/pei-lobster/photos/peilobster-19xl.jpg fullscreen-mobile: false fullscreen-desktop: true mobile-aspect-ratio: 3-4 desktop-aspect-ratio: 3-2 caption: credit: audio: audio-label: true audio-description: [.text] [.+paragraphs] The opening of the spring lobster season still honours this tradition. On Setting Day, the first day of the season, fishers wait in harbour until 6 a.m., both because of federal regulations and as a throwback to the days when fishers divided their days between the water and the farm. [] [] [] :skip ****** photo ****** :endskip [.slide] type: photo photo-sm: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/pei-lobster/photos/peilobster-20sm.jpg photo-lg: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/pei-lobster/photos/peilobster-20lg.jpg photo-xl: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/pei-lobster/photos/peilobster-20xl.jpg fullscreen-mobile: false fullscreen-desktop: false mobile-aspect-ratio: 4-3 desktop-aspect-ratio: 4-3 caption: credit: audio: audio-label: true audio-description: [.text] [.+paragraphs] Other traditions, like the annual blessing of the boats, can involve the whole community. The ritual can vary by community, but generally includes either a priest or minister praying with fishers on the wharf before offering a blessing for a good season. In Catholic communities such as North Rustico, holy water is splashed over the boats. [] [.+paragraphs] Reverend Roger MacPhee has led the blessing of the boats at Pinette wharf since 1987 and understands the value of the tradition. “I think it means different things to different people,” said MacPhee. “I think it offers love and protection because it’s a dangerous occupation. Just to know you’re not alone out there.” [] [] [] :skip ****** photo ****** :endskip [.slide] type: photo photo-sm: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/pei-lobster/photos/peilobster-29sm.jpg photo-lg: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/pei-lobster/photos/peilobster-29lg.jpg photo-xl: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/pei-lobster/photos/peilobster-29xl.jpg fullscreen-mobile: false fullscreen-desktop: false mobile-aspect-ratio: 3-4 desktop-aspect-ratio: 4-3 caption: credit: audio: audio-label: true audio-description: [.text] [.+paragraphs] In addition to being physically demanding, the job comes with other challenges. The federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans has imposed conservation measures that include limiting the number of fishing licences available to non-Indigenous islanders. [] [.+paragraphs] First Nations fishers’ treaty rights guarantee the right to earn a “moderate livelihood” through fishing, but the DFO has been unclear on the definition of that term, leading to tensions between Mi’kmaq and non-Indigenous fishers – as well as between the Mi’kmaq and the DFO. [] [] [] :skip ****** photo ****** :endskip [.slide] type: photo photo-sm: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/pei-lobster/photos/peilobster-23sm.jpg photo-lg: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/pei-lobster/photos/peilobster-23lg.jpg photo-xl: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/pei-lobster/photos/peilobster-23xl.jpg fullscreen-mobile: false fullscreen-desktop: false mobile-aspect-ratio: 3-4 desktop-aspect-ratio: 4-3 caption: credit: audio: audio-label: true audio-description: [.text] [.+paragraphs] As part of a recent trade war, China imposed a 25-per-cent tariff on Canadian seafood in April, lowering spring prices. Add to that the constant threat of warming ocean waters and unpredictable weather. [] [] [] :skip ****** diptych ****** :endskip [.slide] type: diptych mobile-aspect-ratio: 4-3 desktop-aspect-ratio: 4-3 map: [.diptych] photo-1-sm: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/pei-lobster/photos/peilobster-24sm.jpg photo-1-lg: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/pei-lobster/photos/peilobster-24lg.jpg caption-1: Connie, left, works with her daughter Courtney to attach tags to lobster traps. credit-1: audio-1: audio-1-label: audio-1-description: photo-2-sm: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/pei-lobster/photos/peilobster-25sm2.jpg photo-2-lg: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/pei-lobster/photos/peilobster-25lg2.jpg caption-2: credit-2: audio-2: audio-2-label: audio-2-description: [] [.text] [.+paragraphs] Still, for the moment, young people, like Charlie’s and Allan’s children, can make a good living without leaving the communities they grew up in. More women, in particular, are taking advantage of these opportunities. [] [.+paragraphs] “I probably will do it forever,” said Courtney. “I just love it.” [] [] [] :skip ****** photo ****** :endskip [.slide] type: photo photo-sm: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/pei-lobster/photos/peilobster-27sm.jpg photo-lg: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/pei-lobster/photos/peilobster-27lg.jpg photo-xl: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/pei-lobster/photos/peilobster-27xl.jpg fullscreen-mobile: false fullscreen-desktop: false mobile-aspect-ratio: 3-4 desktop-aspect-ratio: 4-3 caption: credit: audio: audio-label: true audio-description: [.text] [.+paragraphs] It’s a feeling Alyssa knows well. “There’s something about the water,” she said. “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.” [] [] [] :skip ****** video ****** :endskip [.slide] type: video video: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/pei-lobster/video/peilobsterpoem.mp4 video-caption: fullscreen-mobile: false fullscreen-desktop: false mobile-aspect-ratio: 1-1 desktop-aspect-ratio: 1-1 caption: credit: audio: audio-label: true audio-description: Listen to poem interactive: true [.text] [.+paragraphs] Tranquility by Frank Ledwell, PEI Poet Laureate 2004-2007 Read by his son, Patrick Ledwell [] [] [] :skip ****** photographer bio ****** :endskip [.slide] type: bio label: About the photographer photo: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/pei-lobster/photos/Nathanbio.jpg photo-credit: bio: Nathan Rochford is a photographer, writer and videographer based in Charlottetown, PEI. He is a former newspaper photographer and editor, and is currently working on a long-term project called The Island, focused on the changing social landscape of PEI. Nathan credits his uncles and cousins, many of whom are lobster fishers, for sparking a lifelong interest in the fishery. [] :skip ****** credits ****** :endskip [.slide] type: credits [.+credits] Photography and story by Nathan Rochford Photo editing by Melissa Tait Editing by Lisan Jutras Digital presentation by Mackenzie Lad Visuals editing by Solana Cain and Liz Sullivan Interactive design and development by Christopher Manza [] [] [] `; !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r