Gloucester at the Crossroads


Gloucester fisherman.


Gloucester at the Crossroads examines the social, cultural, and economic
effects of declining fish stocks in Gloucester, Massachusetts, the oldest
fishing port in the US. Sandy Tolan, who lived in Gloucester at the time,
produced the series for Living on Earth in 1997 and 1998.

 
       
Part 1: The Penny Fish and the Multinational (16:23) | Sandy Tolan | Living on Earth | May 2, 1997
Gloucester was once one of the greatest fishing ports on earth. Today it's a gritty place where fishermen struggle to make a living. A debate over a proposed foreign-owned herring processing plant casts light on the challenges facing atown—and an industry—in transition.
      
Part II: St. Peter's Fiesta (15:49) | Sandy Tolan | Living on Earth | August 1, 1997
For nine nights each summer, the Italian-Americans of Gloucester gather to pray to the patron saint of fishermen. It's been a tradition since the 1920s. But with the depletion of the fish stocks, townsfolk are beginning to contemplate a very different future.
      
Part III: Lost at Sea (17:41) | Sandy Tolan | Living on Earth | January 9, 1998
Over the last four centuries, Gloucester has lost, on average, one fisherman every thirteen days. The memory of the dead, and the knowledge that there will be more, have always haunted the town and its people.
      
Part IV: The Paint Factory (18:31) | Sandy Tolan | Living on Earth | September 11, 1998
Townsfolk debate the fate of an abandoned 19th century paint factory on Gloucester's inner harbor. Developers want to transform it into a luxury condominium; some citizens worry that the town is turning its back on its industrial past. It's symbolic of a larger debate over Gloucester's economic and cultural identity.