DOI: 10.25549/examiner-m6606
title: Sardine Page (Fishing), 1951

description: 16 images. Sardine Page (Fishing), 01 November 1951. Pete Balestreri; Captain Tony Barcott; Joe Zupparde; Jack Taormina; James Lucido.; Supplementary material reads: "Note: Captions and negs. arranged in sequence. Att.: Riblett. Gershon. Illus: Sardine Picture Page.  First step in preparing to trap sardines in purse seine is to make ready the Coral Sea's skiff.  No 13: Nick Zuvella ( hands in pockets) watches as other crew members lift bow of skiff just prior to letting it go over the stern.  No 4: Jack Taormina, left, and Pete (the Barber) Balestreri in skiff from purse seiner Coral Sea as skiff hits the water.  Taormina tends net lines while Balestreri tends oar.  No 5: With skiff drifting away in background, Nick Zuvella climbs up on net on knees to watch for any snarling of nets as it plays out.  Coral Sea continues ahead at moderate speed to insure fast running out of net.  Coral Sea will complete circle back to skiff.  No 3: Nick Zuvella watches corner of net for snags as it is paid out.  No 7: Net circle completed, Coral Sea's skiff with Jack Taormina and Pete Balestreri in it tends to bobbing cork line which holds up net. Bottom of net is 180 feet down at this point.   First step in trapping fish now is to pull rings at bottom of net together to form "purse" of seine and haul this part of net to deck of fishing boat.  No 2: At winch, James Lucido pulls in slack on cable while Joe Zupparde ( in slickers) and other crew members prepare to gather in net to be secured on deck.  Note cluster of rings at top of net.  These rings were drawn together while net was under water and closed 'purse' on sardines.  The rings have been drawn up from center of purse which now makes remainder of net only 90 feet under water.  No 1: 'Stacking of net' now begins.  Pete Balestreri in foreground, guides line with ring on it (ring is in his hands) while other crew members spread out net to fold it in as it is dropped from top of boom.  Net is laid in folds so that it will run out more easily in next 'set'."; Supplementary material continues:  "Att.: Riblett. Gershon. Sardine page captions.  No 9: Pete Balestreri, foreground, reaching for hook to put in sling he has wrapped around gathered section of net coming over the side of the Coral Sea while Pete Iacono removes sling from section of net just landed on deck of net turntable.  No 10: As net gets closer to the side of seiner even the "Skipper" lends a hand. Captain Tony Barcott, owner of Coral Sea, is shown hauling in guide line.  No 12: Crew members haul in remaining lengths of net to bring fish to surface ready for "brailing", next step in landing fish. In this shot, sardines are shown just below the surface of water.  No 8: Fish are ready for "brailing" (bringing hold of purse seiner, Coral Sea). Looking down, top of head of Pete Balestreri is seen.  No 15: Sardines pour out of ring (mouth) of brailer into hold of Coral Sea. Brailer has large ring attached to long handle and long net-like sack.  Ring or "mouth" is dipped into fish at side of vessel, brought to hatch opening and then "tail" of sack is lifted by boom and cable to dump fish into hold.  In this shot, Nick Zuvella watches (he's in slicker while James Lucido tends winch).  No 16: Joe Zupparde (in checkered shirt) watches as silver stream of sardines pile out of brailer into holds of Coral Sea.  No 11: Another view of sardines going from brailer into hold of Coral Sea. When fog closes down on fishing boat, fathometer is used to intercept schools of fish.  No 14: Joe Zupparde whose job it is to read fathometer points to numbers which indicate how deep school may be. A red "blip" marks surface and two red blips mark depth of bottom, any recordings in between indicate movement of fish.  No 10: Capt. Tony Barcott shown at radio as he exchanges fish information with other skippers".; Supplementary material continues: "Att Riblett. Sardine picture page. Fishermen guard certain information about locale of fish but obvious information is relayed among fleet.  No 6 and 18: Fog closed down on fishing boat New Home II which Coral Sea encountered.  But fog was too late to prevent New Home II from scooping up 30 tons of sardines, shown being "brailed" aboard. Photo taken from bow of Coral sea which Capt. Tony Barcott put in this close for photo taken in heavy fog".