Haul in a Day’s Work | Feature in Deep Blue Online Magazine

by ANDREA McHUGH • photography by ERIN McGINN

In the stillness of the pre-dawn hours, there’s barely a whisper of the orange-emblazoned sunrise to come, the way the rays will paint a golden glow across the canvas of the bay’s gentle swell. But as Russell Sylvestre drives across the Mount Hope Bridge linking Aquidneck Island and the mainland, he knows the promise the hush before dawn brings.

By the time most people are shaking off their slumber, Russell is halfway through his day, miles out to sea. His dark morning drive from Bristol to Newport’s Louis L. Jagschitz State Pier is one he can do with his eyes closed, just like his father before him, and the other lobstermen here who continue the longtime practice that contributes to not only a multimillion dollar industry here, but the heritage of this place, once defined by its working waterfront.

Not long after its founding in 1639, Newport established itself as one of colonial America’s busiest seaports, its natural deep-water harbor inviting a bustling hub of maritime ventures including shipbuilding, sailingmaking, ropemaking and other trades accommodating the comings and goings of trade ships and fishing vessels. More than 150 wharves dotted the harbor then, extending from where State Pier #9 stands today to Newport’s southern end.

Once my father retired, I took over the reins of our family business, and now I operate it. I certainly made a lot of trips as a kid going fishing and just loved it.

Russell Sylvestre, Lobsterman/Captain F/V Summit

Today, Louis L. Jagschitz State Pier is the last remaining state-owned commercial pier in Newport. It’s named for “Louie the Lobsterman,” one of the city’s legendary lifetime lobstermen. And it’s where nearly 50 commercial vessels can be found bobbing gently in the water’s sway along its weatherworn docks, kept company by stacks of lobster pots, colorful ropes, tangled nets, and buoys all bearing the scent of the sea, a smattering of gear that litters the expanse while crews ready the inshore lobster boats or offshore draggers, each eager for a generous catch. A few docks away, charter fishing boats stock up for a day in pursuit of bluefish, stripers, fluke or the season’s speciality.

“But when my father started in the 90s, Newport was the lobstering spot – the capital of the world. Maine wasn’t in its heyday yet. At the State Pier, there were maybe 35 lobstermen plus,” Russell recalls. “As times have changed and aquaculture’s become more prevalent, and most of the waterfront restaurants – not necessarily a working waterfront – we’re the last spot that allows commercial fishing in Newport,” he says.

Aquaculture is the farming of aquatic organisms, including fish or shellfish, under controlled conditions. Think farming, only in the water instead of on land. Oysters are the leading aquaculture product in Rhode Island. Nearly 100 Rhode Island oyster farms produce 12 million briny bivalves annually. But for Russell, lobstering is too hard to shake.

His story is a familiar one along the New England coastline; born into the life of a waterman, carrying the torch for a next generation. “Once my father retired, I took over the reins of our family business, and now I operate it,” he says with pride. “I certainly made a lot of trips as a kid going fishing with both of them, and just loved it, loved being outside in Mother Nature everyday.”

His parents started the business together, both sharing a passion for working on the water. That passion worked its way through Russell’s DNA, propelling him to pursue Aquaculture and Fisheries Science at the University of Rhode Island, one of the oldest programs of its kind in the Northeast. Not only does the program prepare students for careers in sustainable production and management of aquatic species, but it emphasizes local biodiversity and ecosystem health, critical to the future of commercial fishing in the Ocean State. The vitality of the water is the lifeblood of Russell’s work, and so many more.

In the springtime, when many are busy starting seedlings, pruning shrubs or returning to the outdoor farmer’s market, Russell and his crew head out to sea aboard his F/V Summit to lay 800 traps, the maximum the state allows, five to 15 miles off Newport’s jagged shore. From June through the end of the year, they’ll haul the traps up from the rugged seabed, one by one, plucking the greenish brown crustaceans with hard, mottled shells and spiny antennae from the traps before re-baiting the traps and plunging them back into the cold sea.

“We gauge everything that comes aboard. It has to have a 3-3/8” carapace length, and then the egg-bearing female lobsters, we put a z-notch in them and toss ‘em back. Then when another fisherman catches those lobsters, it signifies that it’s a breeding female. With that v-notch, no one else can take it,” he explains. It’s illegal, in fact, for fertile females to be harvested. This practice helps keep lobster stocks healthy for future generations. It’s a centuries-old measure passed down for generations. “It’s an absolutely wonderful piece of conservation management that really helps us continue to fish year after year,” he explains. “Yeah, you want to make a living now, but we need to make sure that this is sustainably done so that we can continue to make a living, and people after us can as well.”

Though the on-the-water part of his work is the one that gets the most romanticized, a fisherman hardly knows what the typical American 40-hour workweek looks like. “It’s more of a lifestyle than a job,” Russell says. “Even if you’re not out fishing, there’s always something that needs to be done, whether it’s maintenance on the boat or the gear or handling the product. The best part is, you’re out there in the beautiful weather, and then, you know, you’re also out there sometimes in the not as beautiful weather,” he laughs. “It’s all part of the experience.”

His story is a familiar one along the New England coastline; born into the life of a waterman, carrying the torch for the next generation.

Russell’s haul likely takes the shortest journey in the Ocean State before being savored. The Lobster Shack on the State Pier is just steps from his boat, and dishes up the freshest dock-to-plate eats you’ll find. A co-op for the pier fisherman, the seasonal restaurant is decidedly unfancy, but don’t let the picnic tables and mobile trailer fool you. With made-to-order lobster, crab, squid, conch and fish, in-the-know diners enjoy the freshest buttery lobster bisque, crispy fish sandwiches, lobster rolls, calamari and more – all depending on the day’s catch. Working together as a collaborative adds another layer of camaraderie amongst the fishermen, eager to share the spoils of their catch with both locals and travelers from around the world.

“Everyone knows just how fortunate we are to have that space – literally the last piece of working waterfront in Newport from a commercial fishing standpoint. Everyone is very happy that we have the facilities we do there. The Lobster Shack is instrumental in my business and all the lobstermen down there; just being able to unload our products when we get in, and then it goes right to the public. What’s better than that?”

Even if you’re not out fishing, there’s always something that needs to be done, whether it’s maintenance on the boat or the gear or handling the product.

Russell Sylvestre

Newport Lobster Shack
on State Pier 9

Just steps from Sylvestre’s boat, the Newport Lobster Shack dishes up the freshest dock-to-plate eats you’ll find. The Shack also ships fresh seafood (caught by the Newport Fisherman’s Co-op) anywhere in the continental U.S.

150 Long Wharf Mall
Newport, Rhode Island
401-847-1700
NewportLobsterShack.com

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Haul in a Day's Work

Newport Lobster Shack on State Pier 9

Newport Lobster Shack
on State Pier 9