November 19, 2014 — “This is worse than we thought it was going to be.”
About Joe Orlando
Age: 60
Years on the water: More than 50; recalls going fishing at the age of 5 or 6 with his father Mario and grandfather Joseph aboard.
Vessel: The F/V Santo Pio; longtime owner/operator of the F/V Padre Pio.
Ups and downs: Sold Padre Pio in face of NOAA limit cuts, later bought Santo Pio — and now looking to sell that, too.
Joe Orlando hasn't been out fishing on his own boat in more than a year, a span of time in which he sold the 65-foot dragger Padre Pio, bought a 50-footer he re-outfitted and named the Santo Pio.
Now, he is in the process of selling that vessel, with the hope of buying a smaller boat. Maybe.
If you are looking for a living, breathing example of how the shifts and switchbacks of fishery management policy make it nearly impossible for fishermen to develop a cogent business plan, look no further than Orlando.
Read the full story from the Gloucester Daily Times