Calling all fishermen! Part 2
It was Valentine's Day. Of all the roundtable meetings we held with fishermen in Massachusetts, I expected this one to have the lowest turnout. After all, who wants to spend their free time talking about marine debris with a bunch of scientists on Valentine's Day? But the meeting had our largest turnout yet. Some of the fishermen even brought their wives - I hope they had romantic dinner plans afterward. We sat together in a corner of the Fishing Heritage Center in New Bedford. We were surrounded by reminders of the fishing industry - a mannequin wearing an orange survival suit, a video from a scallop processing plant, models of fishing gear and boats. It was the perfect setting for our discussion. At every roundtable, we have had one or two big personalities. A couple of fishermen with strong opinions come and make sure we hear everything they have to say. Don't get me wrong, these big personalities push the conversation forward. The whole point of our roundtable meeting...