New England Portrait Nominated for Emmy Award

They make their livelihood in the most dangerous career in the United States. Yet, there isn’t another job in the world they would rather do.

They are commercial fishermen, and their natural attraction and devotion to the sea courses through their veins as if it were a genetic trait. In fact, many fishermen today are sons and grandsons of fishermen.

But their love of life on the high seas brings with it the high risk of tragedy. The watery partner that yields the stock of their trade can also turn on them in the blink of an eye and exact the ultimate price.

This tradition of dedication against the physical and regulatory challenges of life as a commercial fisherman in Gloucester, MA, and Point Judith, RI, was recently showcased in an episode of New England Portrait, the WSBE Rhode Island PBS production hosted and produced by Mary Lou Palumbo. That episode, entitled, “The Loss of Life at Sea: Remembering New England Fishermen,” has been nominated for a Boston / New England Emmy® award in the Environmental Program category.

The award ceremony will be held in Boston on Saturday, May 10. We've got our fingers crossed. : )