The Captain - Jason Joyce
The Boat - Andanamra
All the Important Stuff About Swans Island Rent-A-Trap!
The Captain . . .
Jason Joyce, a descendant of James Joyce who first settled on Swan’s
Island in 1806, continues a long family tradition that began 8 generations/
over 200 years ago (click here for the Joyce
Family history). Raised on the waters surrounding Swan's Island,
Jason has been earning his living from the sea since graduating from school.
Jason also received and maintains his U.S. Coast Guard Captain's License
to operate on near coastal waters. Captain Joyce is married to his high
school sweetheart and resides on Swan’s Island with Mrs. Joyce and
their 4 children.
Captain Joyce fishes
out of Burnt Coat Harbor on Swan’s Island from a wharf that has
been family-owned since 1946. Purchased from R.K. Barter, it was a salt-cod
business, but since that time has been the home base for 5 generations
of Joyces to store their fishing gear and bait, to repair their traps,
and paint buoys. Captain Joyce’s son overlooks the same view of
the harbor that his great, great grandfather did while working on gear
over 60 years ago.
The
Swan's Island Fishing Grounds . . .
The southern side of Swan's Island is an area designated
as the Swan's Island Conservation Area. This is where Captain Joyce will
fish your trap for the season.The trap limit (amount of traps a fisherman
is allowed to tend) in this area is 475, which is the second lowest in
the state (compared to 800 for most areas of the state). As a fisherman
in this very restrictive area, Captian Joyce fishes his traps as hard
as possible. At almost half the amount of traps others in the state can
fish, the Swan's Island Conservation Area has developed a community of
fisherman who, through necessity, have become smarter and more efficient
with their fishing practices in order to make a living. Therefore, the
most productive trap you can "rent" is available to you now.
The sooner you rent, the sooner the rewards can be reaped.
The
fishermen . . .
Whether on the water fishing, or on one of the few roads
on the island, the locals of Swan's Island always have a wave and a smile.
Most of the close-knit group of fisherman from Swan's Island are folks
whose families have called Swan's Island home for many years. If someone
is sick or needs assistance, a call on the marine radio will get multiple
responses from fisherman offering a helping hand. Swan's Island is a great
place to live and provides a lifestlye, and a community, that can't be
matched on the mainland.
Your
rental trap . . .
Lobster traps used to be much more personal than they are today. The wooden
trap of years past were usually built by the lobsterman so they would
take on the “personality” of the fisherman and his style of
fishing.Today, most traps are completely pre-built before the lobsterman
takes delivery, but his preferences are built into the trap just the same
by a professional trap builder. Your trap will be a custom wire trap with
multiple modifications by the Captain that through trial and error, have
proved to catch the most lobsters possible in a season.
The Lobster Boat . . .
The F/V Andanamra
is a 38’ custom lobster boat built by its designer, Calvin Beal,
Jr. from Beals Island, Maine. Launched in 2002, this vessel was constructed
by experienced craftsmen to provide its owner with a vessel that can get
there and back again in the safest manner possible. Calvin is one of the
last lobster boat designing legends whose natural ability and strong fishing
background put him on the top of the list of boat designers/builders in
Maine. His utilization of the “Reverse Curve” in hull design
makes for a comfortable, seaworthy vessel that is the pride of many a
fisherman.Every feature on the boat is a well thought out design with
the safety and convenience of the crew as a #1 priority.
The Captain looks forward to taking you out
on her to see your trap being tended, and knows you will enjoy your time
on the frigid Atlantic waters aboard the F/V Andanamra. The name of the
vessel is a combination of the captain’s 4 children’s names
all blended together. It is a bit of a mouthful, but he wanted to show
his pride as a father and be able to have all his children recognized
in some way.
Things you should know . . .
Lobstering is very territorial. It has been that way for many years. I
fish where generations of islanders have fought to keep an area fished
exclusively by islanders. That’s the way it is in downeast Maine.
That is part of the way of life and I respect what past generations have
sacrificed so that my generation has bottom to fish. Most fisherman respect
these “rules” up and down the coast, but the offshore islanders
realize more than most how important it is to protect our way of life.
There is nothing else to do on an island to provide for your family, except
construction/carpentry, and some of us were not blessed with those skills,
but we know how to fish. It is in our blood and we, as lobstermen, have
been so pro-active in regulating ourselves that we have been leaders in
the fishing industry regarding stewardship.
Rather than looking at lobstering as a goldmine to be extracted from and
then move on, the lobstermen of Maine have consistently fought to impose
regulations on ourselves to be sure that this remains a sustainable fishery
for the next generation.
Regulations such as “V-Notching” of seeded females to prevent
their harvesting was an idea that came from the Maine lobsterman. Venting
traps to let small lobsters escape and a measure that prevents lobsters
less than 1 pound or over 4 pounds from being harvested shows the lobstermen
are thinking not just of themselves, but of the resource and future generations.
Still, the rising cost of expenses is making it harder and harder on fishing
families trying to stay in the business.
Times are changing.
People want to know where there food comes from, and how it gets from
the place of origin, to their table. If it comes from the ocean, they
want to know where it was caught, how it was caught, and if possible...by
whom. They want to get back to the basics...away from the big markets
who are simply handling massive amounts of products that they know little
about. Today's health conscious consumer seeks the freshest, most naturally
organic foods that can easily be distinguished by their flavor and appearance.
The best way to get your best organic produce is from your local farmer.
The best way to get your freshest, best tasting, naturally wild caught
Maine lobster ....is from your own trap. Your own lobster, caught from
Your own lobster Trap, delivered to your own door. Click
here to begin your authentic Maine experience!