In memory of the Chief Fernando

This is written in memory of late Chief Engineer Mr. Fernando Quaresma, man who took me under his wings on my arrival, has given me hard time, succeeded to force me to learn English in less than three months, thought me about great American Democracy when tired, thought me professionally, and give me opportunity to work for him and with him in best years of American Tuna fishing. I hope he is happy on eternal fishing grounds. If he looks down from havens: all successes in my life are thanks to you Fernando and I can’t thank you enough. Till we met again: God bless you and rest in peace, you have departed too soon.
Chief Engineers Michael Datin and Andy White were young and full of energy, performing impossible tasks under stress, putting up often with difficult types. These great engineers didn’t know for word Cant do, impossible and such. They welded crack ships in middle of Ocean in hold them together till shipyard, overhauled CATs in rolling seas. I guess we were all on our own way crazy, difficult but always individualistic, human and fisherman...
Golden Years of American tuna fishing. Over one hundred fifty large tuna seiners plow Great Ocean in search of Big Eye, Skip Jack, Albacore or Yellow Fin. Portugese, Spaniards, Italians and Croatians tended to do what they were doing before arrival in States. Lack of English concentrate them in San Pedro, San Diego and community grows. At first fishing from small boats by the coast of California, as demand grows, larger and sophisticated vessels were build. Many innovations come from necessity of fishing as hard back breaking labor. Wages were earned on century old system: no fish no money. On beginning it was near coastal fishing. With years tuna seiners become Ocean going vessels in size from 1000 t to over two thousand tons of frozen fish. Nets grown from few yards in length and depth to mile long and 300 fathoms deep. From simple surface observations, come sophisticated electronics, weather faxes, satellites, sonar’s and sounders, fish finders. Heavy cotton nets become nylon, pulling net by hand and sling become impossible and Mr. Puretich single handedly build biggest fishing innovation of all time Power block .Instead of making one set a day and working hard, now was possible to make many sets in short period of time a lot more easy. With size of vessels and distance from shore style changed. Being home often was not an option no more, and development of ammonia refrigeration allowed them to stay out month at the time. Whole industry was build around, shipyards such as Tacoma or San Diego. Paint industry, net, power blocks and all other needed services in the glory days feed over two million people directly or indirectly involved in tuna fishing. Fishing Captains such as Sousas, Zuanich, Dundov, Blaslov and many others still make deals on worth of the face or their word. Papers weren’t necessary. Time lines were respected and no need for fancy lawyers, banks and such existed- yet. But time was changing. Corporate Industry has set sights on this individualist Industry. Small ship owners have not being strong enough for high seas fishing united and jointly build vessels and become first fishing corporations. Rest is history. This history comes to slow and painful death when Magnuson act was brought forward. To escape grips and troubles of porpoise fishing, new fishing grounds were needed and first exploratory ships were send in South West Pacific. No body knew then about El Nino and El Nina, jet streams, termoclines and temperature of the Ocean relationship with fish. All what was known, someplace West must be better, and they went for it. No chards of this areas existed. Even today we sail with chards last time corrected in 1886 or such. They found many reefs. Discovered to equipment and nets doesn’t work in this they call them Wild waters.
This is stories, in memory of Old timers forced on Great Ocean by need to survive, feed family or plainly it was no other way. Between them many died, many were lost at sea, others lost limbs or sanity as Skipper whom seen son eaten by sharks while saving dolphins from the net. Others succeeded and used bonanza for short time to better them selves.
Many great Navigators, Skippers, Chief Engineers rose through ranks. They were good at what they did, and they become THE BEST. Returning in ports of call they reported new reefs, under sea mounts where newer was one. They learn weather patterns and cycles, seen giant squids, Islands being born and Islands washed away, people of the Islands so innocent to for one ice cream given to the child will bring in return wheel barrels of fruits, fish, lobsters, piglets and anything else they have. That was the time when Fishermen was still word meaning collectively: strong, respectable, innovative, resourceful, knowledgeable, honorable, honest, word worth gold, in short THE FISHERMAN.
Others were telling the kids:”Go become fisherman, it’s a good job, hard but good money, you’ll make decent living”. These times are over now. Few graceful vessels remain at seas. Most fishermen were forced in other industries if lucky; to retire if old enough, but all miss adrenalin runs of great school fishing on foomer.
Now on instead of American flag on high seas one can se Korean, Japanese, Taiwanese and more and more , flag of People’s Redpublic of China, while we were picking just grown ups , canned tuna was what label said, and juveniles have time to grow and mature. Big Eye of 60 lbs plus, Yellow Fin same or bigger, Skip Jack’s at over twenty five pounds were considered baby. They today finish in the nets of low pay, profit run industry, that doesn’t care about size, just about tonnage.
Now instead of USA nautical chards being updated by fishermen, our submarines run underwater in the mountains, surface ships get grounded where reefs grow to close to surface, no body here monitor great expanses of Pacific.
Great community of American fishermen goes the way of extinction, and if one day US NAVY need intimate knowledge of this rarely sailed areas I am afraid no body will be left to tell about, knowledge gathered through thirty years will be lost due changes in climate, human population, washout of low Pacific Island such as FSM, Tuvalu and soon many others. This is world far away of MODERN civilization, far from every day life, but its real, oh I am so sorry WAS real.
May be is for good, to Old timers and Islands disappearing together, they grow up together, get to know each other, many story was told about Southern Seas in fishermen taverns and bars, and WHEN Islands disappear they will just follow Tuna , Skip Jack, FSM, Tuvalu, Tinian.
This is leading us to whole new situation in the world, ecological refugees from Pacific, they already coming; their numbers will only increase with time, what they will not have is home, land, culture, tradition, and great healthy way of life
Old timers dying out in all too increasing numbers, what’s really killing them is loss of freedom, loss of what you do and you are best in, loss of great way of life.
Oh how I wish to get on wide Tropical Pacific just one more time before I go! Just one more sunset with clear sky, stars so close to one can pluck them one by one, silver surface of Moon reflection, whale breeching, porpoises playing, oh how I wish to……