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Wanchese Fishing Company started in 1936, fishing off the Outer Banks of North Carolina, bringing their catch to Roanoke Island. Since then, it has expanded to be one of the largest suppliers of seafood along the entire eastern seaboard, with fleets operating as far north as Boston. Slowly, over the past two decades, the industry has fallen on hard times. The men who man these boats blame it on both over-fishing and increasingly strict government regulation. This photo story follows the men of the Bald Eagle II as they go out to sea for five days in March, 2010. The 80-foot trawler went out looking for flounder; the crew is made up of Cap'n, Mousey, and Bo Jack.
Justin 'Mousey' Long is 27 years old. He started work as a commercial fisherman at age 19, prior to that he worked on the scallop boats off Roanoke Island. Mousey says when the seas get rough enough, he still gets seasick.
Steve never felt comfortable giving his last name. 'And anyway,' he says, 'everyone calls me Bo Jack.' The crew spends the majority of their time at sea, typically going out for trips somewhere between four and fourteen days. When they come into port, they will stay for no longer than three days. The men bring few artifacts to remind them of home. 'But I aint never had any trouble finding women,' Bo Jack boasts.
Mousey gets his gear on as he prepares to move the latest catch into the hold. The boat moves at a top speed of 8.6 knots per hour; it trawls at 3 knots per hour.
When the nets come up, the crew uses spiked clubs to quickly stab and scoop flounder into baskets. The fish are then packed into the hold. Each basket represents approximately 100 lbs.
Mousey packs flounder into the hold. At the end of the trip he points out how well the fish held up, 'See that,' he says, motioning to the frozen fish, 'that means I packed 'em well.' For this trip, the crew collects 150 boxes, or 15,000 lbs of flounder. 20 years ago, Cap'n says they would catch 700 to 800 baskets, or 70,000 to 80,000 pounds of flounder.
Bo Jack gets some help with lighting a cigarette while sorting fish. The crew is 70 miles off Cape May, New Jersey.
The first day of trawling went poorly, due to rough seas. But by Tuesday night, their second day fishing, Bo Jack calls out loudly, 'Ooooheee, we making money now!
The crew operates 24 hours a day, typically dragging their nets across the bottom of the ocean for three to six hours at a time. When the nets come up, it takes approximately an hour to get the catch in the hold. There is little to do on the boat when not working, save for eat, smoke and sleep.
Leftover fish are kicked overboard. They can include dogfish, monkfish, small sharks, stingrays and any amount of trash. This includes a trip in 2007 when their nets brought up a World War Two era depth charge.
Captain Virgil Lockey III, or Cap'n, is 48 years old. He has been at sea since he was 24, and has seen his fair share of rough times. This includes the 2003 sinking of his boat, the Angel Dawn. They were caught in an 5-knot ebb tide off the Oregon Inlet along the Outer Banks and sank . Cap'n broadcast a Mayday; his crew safely escaped.
The Bald Eagle II is operating along a series canyons off the coast of New Jersey for this trip. Bo Jack explains that around these canyons the water depth drops from 300 feet to one mile deep in the span of half a mile. Flounder prefer to stay at the shallower depth, where water is warmer, around 46 - 52 Fahrenheit. A large pack of seagulls operates along side the boat for the entire trip, feasting on the scraps kicked overboard.
Bo Jack takes a break after a sunset trawl. He is 52 years old. He has been going to sea for 30 years. For this trip, he says he hopes to make $3500.
Cap'n mans the wheel while headed back to port. The trip back down the coast will take approximately 36 hours, and each member of the crew takes turns at the helm
Another Wanchese Fishing Co. trawler is seen while headed back into port. When asked if the hold is full, Bo Jack emphatically responds, 'Hell no!'