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August 21, 1975 - Men, Ships And SeaTRAWLER AT SEA, the Rosemary M out of Stonington, Conn. is seen working off the south shore beach. This is an example of the small, rugged and independent fishermen who perform the valuable task of providing nourishing food supplies while coping with the triple threat of spiraling operating costs, intrusion by foreign fishing fleets and the timeless perils of the sea such as storms and fog. August 21, 1975 The Suffollk Times Men, Ships And Sea Our faith in life is renewed in many ways at the Barrier Beach. One of the ways we're assured here is that the shore birds (mostly sanderlings) are starting to arrive along the beaches. These tiny fellows already have been to the tundra up past Hudson Bay, raised a family and are now on their journey to South America. It's realizations such as these that should give all of us faith in the future. True this is not always easy in these days of turmoil, but nevertheless the natural world seems to hold the greatest hope for us. Another bit of Fire Island that never seems to fail me is the beach itself. The rewards are always there. Some days the beach gives up treasures such as a cluster of goose neck barnacles —a variety we on Long Island rarely see, for they are a product of the open sea. Other days it might be a lob- ster buoy that broke away during a storm or perhaps during that storm the beach was renewed and shell collecting becomes our fancy. We never seem to tire of looking at the beach or hopefully waiting in an- ticipation of its treasures. Yesterday we found sea anemones tossed up by the night's storm. These tubular jelly- like masses were inactive until I brought them back to the cottage and put them in sea water. Then, like time -lapse photography of an opening flower, they blossomed into pulsating rosettes of slender fingers. The goose neck barnacles have a fan -like wand that moves in and out to pick up the multitude of tiny microscopic plankton in the water while these sea anemones open their flowers to attract and await larger prey. When the small fish or crustaceans touch the opened trap it closes rapidly and draws the victim into its inner stomach. It's a strange world beneath the sea and one most of us are becoming more aware of and dependent upon. I love a. stormy day almost any place, but one on the ocean beach has something special to offer. All day it's been blowing a steady 20 knots and the sea has really built up. It's lost its tropical emerald green sparkle and has changed to a boiling, pounding brown surf. Seems like every particle in the ocean has been ripped loose and blended into the sea. Half a mue away Lne naze oto[s ou[ vis►uu, only to clear for a moment and reveal the ever - prodding fishing trawler that's been working offshore for the past two weeks. One early dawn found them so close I could read the name on the bow, "Lone Star ". What a beautiful name for a boat. My hat goes off to those "who go down to the sea in ships ". No matter what the weather they are out there with their tows off each side plodding slowly up and down. One can only speculate as to what goes on below the sea at the ends of their tows. What their nets will haul in could well be our next week's dinner. Watching through my binoculars my head starts to sway as they wallow in the swells. I can imagine someone at the wheel oc- casionally glancing at the compass, then to the clock that tells when to swing about. "Time to haul nets" he calls and the crew is aroused from below to come on deck draped in foul weather gear of all descriptions. They hang on to the bulkhead and await the net's arrival. Day and night they attend their nets. In good weather some work is done topside but on days like this the sack seems the best place to function. On clear nights I can see the running lights and oc- casionally a floodlight on deck. I know then there's a haul on deck and the men are again at work. These men, along with local fishermen from our bays and Sound, can hold their heads high in any grout). Not only are they the rugged ones but they also provide a valuable service in supplying us with the delicious fish and shellfish our area is so well known for. Almost everyone enjoys eating fish, or if not, they enjoy the fun of catching fish. Just yesterday the blues passed through. For those who have never seen a school of blues in a frenzy of action you are missing one of nature's wild and spectacular sights. The bluefish is a savage and powerful swimmer. Put him in line with a school of bait fish along a shore and the water boils in a teaming nightmare of slashing jaws and 'decapitated fish. The panic of a million small herrings and butterfish literally swimming for their :ife, helter- skelter, leaves the water white with foam. On the beach as I made out into the surf with pole in hand the bait fish dashed up with the waves to elude their 'pursuers. Some go so far that they dash right out of the water, only to be stranded high on the wet beach. Before another wave can move up to free them the gulls and terns dive on them. The same dive - bombing tactics in the meantime are being performed out over the school. The bait fish that come too close to the surface are snapped up by a diving tern or gull. It's a never - ending case of survival in its rawest form. This scene is part of the barrier beach's story. One that changes each day. To some just a place to come and swim —to others a fascinating way of life. The bluefish served us well. For dinner that night we simmered the breaded fillets in butter seasoned with homegrown basil and shallots and later boiled the heads for fish chowder. When the next day came off hot we changed our menu and enjoyed a tasty bluefish salad for lunch. As I cleaned the fish I found eight small herring and two butterfish in the stomach of one. They must have gorged themselves as they drove that school down the beach. That evening we took what was left after cleaning the blues down to the docks on the bay to be used for crab bait. This produced another meal of 14 blue claws. How useful and delicious these gifts of the sea when one only takes time to enjoy them fully. A lesson the world will soon have to learn as food becomes scarcer and prices continue to rise.