![]() More than 650 men worked in the three plants located along Cape Henlopen Drive where Cape Shores is now. ![]() The industry thrived and grew, and by the early 1950s, the largest seafood port in the country had a fleet of 25 ships. By 1938, the Consolidated Fisheries Company of Lewes was the largest processing plant in the United States, with menhaden providing ingredients contained in fertilizer, vitamins and even makeup. The menhaden fishing industry was born to provide a substitute for whale oil in the 1880s. The Native Americans were first to realize the importance of the fish as fertilizer. This allowed the nets to air dry in preparation for the next day. The reel was usually turned by African American watermen, who stood inside the net reel and sang chanteys, while walking to rotate the structure. Unfortunately, the current location of the net reel has riled some neighbors and stirred up a controversy over the past three years that is still not fully resolved. That one artifact is a restored net reel on the Lewes Historical Society campus in downtown Lewes. Except for one artifact, photographs and a few historical markers and signs provide the only connection to the menhaden fishing industry. The factories were torn down to make way for beach-front housing, and now there is very little evidence of that time in Lewes' history. Today, mechanism has replaced the hard labor provided by hundreds of crew members who set the nets and then hauled them in. Residents planned their beach outings based on the wind's direction.Īlthough the six-ship fleet spotted along Lewes Beach uses modern technology and state-of-the-art fishing equipment, the basics are the same as used decades ago – spotting planes to find the schools of fish and large nets to reel them in. Lifelong Lewes residents tell stories of large fish kills washing up on the beach, and there was always the smell of the factories. There were benefits, but there were also drawbacks. It's also today used in livestock feed and added to pet foods and cosmetics. It was processed into fertilizer and vitamins, and used for bait. The oily menhaden, not a good fish to eat, is a vital source of omega-3 fatty acids. Many seasonal workers, mostly from Virginia and North Carolina, also came to Lewes to work during the fishing season from April through October.Īt its zenith, the Lewes operation landed more pounds of fish than any other fishery in the United States. There was no discrimination in the industry as good-paying jobs were provided for whites and Blacks. It's hard to believe today, but in 1953, Lewes was the largest seafood port in the United States, processing more than 390 million pounds of fish, of which 360 million pounds was menhaden. 19 in the Delaware Bay off Lewes Beach provided a flashback into the history of Lewes when the menhaden fishing industry dominated the area economy.Īlthough the industry has roots as far back as the late 19th century in Lewes, it was Otis Smith, who was also elected mayor, who revolutionized the industry during the first half of the 20th century up until the mid-1960s when the fishery was depleted. The sight of a menhaden fishing fleet from Omega Protein in Reedville, Va., on Sept.
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