Brewster Native Advocates For Marine Communities

CHATHAM – The Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen’s Alliance was a household name for intern Sara Cornell when she was growing up in Brewster. 

 “All my family, friends and neighbors were fishermen,” Cornell said. “And [with] just always being near the beach, I’ve had a special connection to it.”

 A rising senior at the University of Miami, Cornell is a double major in marine affairs and ecosystems science and policy. Coming home for the summer led her back to the beaches she grew up on with the intent of utilizing her knowledge for public benefit.

 “Being able to go off to school, learn what I learn, and come back to contribute that education to the community has been really fulfilling,” she said.

 Her internship with the Alliance was an obvious choice, given her longstanding reverence for fishermen, their advocates and the work they do. 

 “It’s really important that the fishermen have this organization to advocate for them on their behalf because it’s so important to the Cape’s economy and history,” said Cornell. “They don’t really have a form of this off Cape.”

 The uniqueness of the work she’s engaged in makes it more meaningful. As an intern, Cornell is responsible for numerous outreach and advocacy efforts. Last week, the Alliance put on a Small Boats, Big Science event to increase awareness and scientific literacy on the part of the larger community. This panel discussion revolved around supporting the infrastructure of the fishing industry, changes to ports and ecosystems and more. Cornell was involved in organizing key speakers for the event. 

She’s also involved in updating the Port Profile Project, a collaborative effort between the Alliance, the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries and the Urban Harbors Institute at UMass Boston. Together, they created an assessment of the state’s current fishing infrastructure. Cornell is working to create an updated and more publicly digestible version of the study’s results. Additionally, due to the close relationships between the Alliance and local harbormasters, she’s planning to take the study along with the input of fishermen to town select board meetings. Along with her colleagues, they’ll be able to educate town government officials on the challenges fishermen face and advocate for fishermen who may not have the time to attend meetings. 

 The internship comes with other perks, too. Through the Alliance, Cornell has been able to go out to sea, which has been one of her favorite parts of the job.

 “I recently went clamming on a 20-hour trip, which was awesome. We brought in a whole boatful of surf clams,” Cornell said. “And I have also gone harpooning for bluefin tuna. We brought in five that day, all between 105 and 112 inches.”

 Being on board fishing boats has been an insightful and rewarding experience for her.

 “I’ve learned a lot. I love to get my hands dirty,” said Cornell.

 Beyond that, the internship has given her a sense of the value of her studies and what future work could entail for her after graduation. 

 “It’s definitely given me a direction of where I want to go,” said Cornell. “I’ve been honored to be able to work here.”