Waterfront Conversations Ch. 2

We are excited to share the second chapter of our new Waterfront Conversations series,  highlighting the voices of the fishermen we collaborate with at sea.

Here, we hear from Paulo Cristelo, captain of FV Princess Scarlett, who is working with Atlantic Shellfish Inc. to collaborate with CFF on our HabCam Scallop Survey. 

Born into a fishing family in Portugal, Paulo Cristelo’s life on the water started early. At just 12 years old, when money was tight at home, he began building fishing nets because he was too young to legally fish. By 14, he earned his fishing “passport” and started working with gillnets and pots. His net making skills quickly earned him a full share aboard the boat , respect that had to be earned.

At 21, Cristelo came to the United States and immediately found work in the fisheries of Cape May, NJ, scalloping and dragging.  Danny Coen from Atlantic Capes Fisheries was the one that opened the doors for him in the industry. Cristelo was hired mainly as a twine man, and his expertise with nets opened the door into the American fishing industry.

After years of working his way up to mate, he wanted more responsibility. David Hickman gave him his first opportunity to run a boat in New Jersey, marking the beginning of his path as captain. But as the fishery there began to decline, he started walking the docks in New Bedford, building connections, learning the fleet, and searching for new opportunity.

Those relationships eventually opened the next chapter of his career. With the help of Warren Alexander, he made the transition from running a single-dredge boat to a two-dredge operation, a major step in the scallop industry. Cristelo has now been with Atlantic Shellfish Inc. for 17 years.

Fishing runs through his blood, his entire family worked in fisheries back in Portugal.

When asked what he loves most about the job, his answer wasn’t the money or the adventure. It was creativity.

As captain, the responsibility goes far beyond running the boat. He explained that one of the toughest parts of the job is keeping the crew motivated while constantly being “on the hunt” for product. Finding fish/scallops means keeping morale high, and carrying that pressure day after day can be rough.

Research work has become especially meaningful to him because it allows fishermen and scientists to work side by side, learning from each other and helping understand the health of the fishery together.

But life offshore also comes with hardship. One of the hardest moments of his career was surviving a rogue wave at sea that left him seriously injured and took the life of one of his crewmates.

And despite decades on the water, the hardest part of fishing today remains simple:

Waterfront Conversations is a series of conversations from the water—with the people behind the work. Follow along as we highlight an industry partner monthly.