The Nature Conservancy, working with the Martha’s Vineyard Fishermen’s Preservation Trust, has purchased the Island’s last historic groundfish permit. The permit was held by Greg Mayhew, owner of the Unicorn.

The decline of the Vineyard's fisheries has little to do with a lack of fish and more to do with lack of access, Island fishermen say. A new regulatory system tends to favor larger companies that can afford to purchase quota from other fishermen and reinvest in equipment.

The Martha’s Vineyard Fishermen’s Preservation Trust will host its first ever Meet the Fleet event this summer to showcase the Island’s working waterfront.

Sand mining, the need for community support and a permitting system that some Island fishermen say is flawed and broken were key topics at a recent meeting of the Martha’s Vineyard Fishermen’s Preservation Trust.

After a period of dormancy, the Martha’s Vineyard Fishermen’s Preservation Trust has resurfaced with a renewed mission to support commercial fishermen.

There are many iconic skylines, but few as proud and cherished as the stabilizer arms that reach above the fish markets from Menemsha’s sister draggers, the Unicorn and the Quitsa Strider II.

In a reversal this week, Vineyard fishermen dropped their lawsuit over the Cape Wind project, with Cape Wind in turn agreeing to support access and a new permit program for fishermen who make a living in the waters around Horseshoe Shoal.

At a conference call with members of the Island and regional media Tuesday, Cape Wind communications director Mark Rodgers and Warren Doty, president of the Martha’s Vineyard/Dukes County Fishermen’s Association, announced that the lawsuit, which was filed in federal court two years ago, would be dropped.

Vineyard fishermen may have a fairer shot at lucrative federal and state permits with the introduction this week of two new programs aimed at making the permits more affordable.