Amid the surrounding chaos, six horrified men desperately hang on to their ship as hurricane force winds and towering waves relentlessly pound them into submission. The roller coaster ride reached its climax when a massive wall of water swallowed the hapless swordfish boat down into the dark abyss. Deafening silence met the Andrea Gail and its motley crew as they sank into their cold and watery grave.

For a brief moment "The Perfect Storm" made us see, feel and understand what fishermen really are. That deep inside they are very much like the rest of us. Fishermen are not the greedy capitalists and turtle killers stereotyped by the popular media or the "green" press. They are ordinary men and women who perform very demanding and risky jobs of supplying fresh seafood to feed our hungry world.

The nature of the fisherman's job has not changed much over the years, either. The famous memorial at Gloucester, Massachusetts is a fitting reminder that four hundred years of scientific advances and technological innovations in ship design, weather forecasting, electronic communication, navigation, etc. have not significantly altered the basic nature, allure and perils of deep sea fishing. Old salts would tell you, "only those who have shown deep respect and fear of the sea live long enough to tell their story."

At the second European colony in the Americas, Gloucester rose in stature to be one of the most important economic centers in the new world - a tribute to the importance and contribution of the fishery industry in building this nation. Given their excellent seamanship and navigational skills, daring character, work ethic, experience and intimate knowledge of the sea, these brave souls were also called to serve as captains and crew for this country's naval forces during times of war.

It is a shame that three decades of misinformation was all it took to change people's perceptions about fishermen and the fishery industry in general. From heroes and hardworking folks who faced great risks to bring food into our table, fishermen are now regarded as ignorant men who rapaciously exploit the world's fishery resources, destroy marine habitats and wantonly kill sea turtles, whales and dolphins that get in their way.

The role of mass production and the popular media in alienating Americans from the messy realities of day-to-day living may have also contributed to these misperceptions. Some years ago I was surprised to meet college kids who honestly thought fillets were processed food products made by the local grocer from inert raw materials. They could not believe that the clean-looking fillet was once a living fish -- head, scales, fins, tails, guts, blood and all.

Dennis Praeger, a radio-TV personality sadly commented that most people would rather trust the media than their own senses. He recalled the time when New Yorkers stayed home on the advice of newscasters who reported that terrible blizzards were sweeping the state. A peek outside their windows could have told them otherwise -- that the sky was clear and the roads were safe to travel. Ditto for fisheries issues.

In the battle for the hearts and minds of the people, Hollywood should be praised for finally giving the industry a fair shake. I am sure that everyone who watched and shed tears at the memorial service for Andrea Gail's crew or empathized with family, friends and members of the Gloucester fishing community have already unlocked their minds to hear what the other side has to say. It may not be enough but associating recognizable faces, emotions and aspirations to a disparaged group of people is the first step towards accepting their humanity... and subsequently, towards reshaping our own perceptions of reality.

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