The “lady of the lobsters” is fishing at 101 and does not intend to retire

Tireless, despite turning 101 and determined not to retire, Virginia Oliver continues to fish lobsters in the waters of Maine, in the northeastern United States. According to local historians, she is probably the oldest professional fisherman.

Her friends call her Ginny, while for the rest she is “the lady with the lobsters”.

Three days a week, Virginia goes out to sea with her son, 78-year-old Max, who helps her steer the ship that her husband, who has been dead for several years, named in her honor.

“I will do it until I die. People ask me, why do I do it? Because I want it. “I am old enough to be my own boss,” he told AFP.

For his part, David Cousins, former president of the Maine Lobster Fishermen’s Association, notes: “Ginny is an inspiration. “For as long as I can remember, Ginny has always been fishing, obviously.”

Her program

At 3.30 in the morning Ginny has already woken up and at exactly 5 she is on her fishing boat. She and her son work together in fishing: he collects the traps of the lobsters and his mother undertakes to weigh them and pass rubber bands on their calipers.

Wearing rubber boots and gloves, Ginny examines the lobsters to make sure they are the right size and meet the requirements of the law to protect the area’s natural resources. Sometimes he also plays the role of captain, but he avoids grabbing the steering wheel when fog falls.

“It never stops,” Max assured. “He is always moving, he is always busy with something. “Sometimes I get tired and I think about it”, he joked.

At the end of the day, the lobsters are transported to the local cooperative to be marketed. The “lady with the lobsters” does not intend to leave her boat soon and retire: on the contrary, she assures that she does not see her stopping her activity.

* The photo is a file

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