WEST OCEAN CITY – The Maryland Coastal Bays Program is launching a new program titled “Voices of the Coastal Bays” next week in Ocean City.
The initiative begins on Monday night, July 18, starting at 5:30, at the Ocean City Life-Saving Station Museum, located on the Boardwalk at 813 S. Atlantic Avenue
“Voices of the Coastal Bays” is a fisheries heritage project and consists of three components.
The first component of the project is a virtual, interactive timeline that takes the user through the history of commercial fishing in Ocean City and how the West Ocean City Harbor came to be.
This timeline features historic archived photographs donated by the Ocean City Life-Saving Station Museum, quotes from fishermen of the past and present and photographs captured by local photographer Zach Garmoe of the present-day commercial fishing industry.
The second component of this project provided local fishermen and women of today a platform to share their stories and highlight the local seafood businesses that keep the legacy of the West Ocean City Harbor alive. Three local fishing companies partnered for this project – Skilligalee Seafood, Martin Fish Co., and Seaborn Seafood.
The third component of the program is a Smart Seafood Guide for Ocean City. This guide covers the seafood caught locally in Ocean City and the months they are in season to encourage more informed and localized seafood choices.
This guide will be available at the launch and will also be featured on the Maryland Coastal Bays Program’s website and at area businesses.
Coastal Bays Program representatives invite the visiting public and local community to join in celebrating the unique fishing heritage of the area and help support the hardworking fishers to maintain a sustainable and local commercial fishery continue to keep it alive. Those interested are encouraged to register online.
Funding for this project came from a mini grant from the Beach to Bay Heritage Area. For more information about this project, contact Cailyn Joseph at [email protected].