Blessing of the Fleet draws thousands to honour fishers and lost loved ones
Thousands of people gathered in Nelson at the weekend for the annual Blessing of the Fleet – a significant community event dedicated to honouring those lost at sea and celebrating the region’s thriving blue economy.
Crowds packed out the Seafarers Memorial, Tāhunanui Beach and local bars and restaurants on Friday and Saturday for the event, which was organised by a dedicated team of trustees and community agencies.
Master of Ceremonies and lead co-ordinator Pete Kara said the weather was “fantastic” after the initial event was cancelled two weeks ago due to an Orange weather warning.
The scale of the turnout was also “fantastic”, he said.
“I’d say we probably had between 3000 and 5000 people … and there were quite a few people down at the beach for the fireworks,” Kara said.
The Blessing of the Fleet was a cornerstone event for the local maritime community, acting as both a memorial and an acknowledgement of the immense challenges faced by the fishing industry.
Kara said the event was originally born out of tragedy
For families who had lost loved ones to the ocean, the lack of a traditional burial could make finding closure incredibly difficult, he said.
“If someone’s lost at sea, they may never be recovered and that’s really, really hard on the families,” he said.
“So in some ways this is about providing families with a sense of closure.”
Kara said the event also served to highlight the gruelling day-to-day reality of the modern fishing industry, where crews often head out into challenging environments for around six to 10 weeks at a time.
“It’s an incredibly challenging environment at times it takes a lot of skill to go out there and do the job that these guys do – there are men and women out there doing this job every day.”
Kara said, in a strong show of solidarity, fishing boats travelled from as far as Marlborough to join local vessels and take part in the weekend’s tug and boat displays.
“I really do appreciate everyone making the time,” he said.
Kara said he was extremely grateful for the commitment from the maritime community, saying the event’s ongoing success relied heavily on bringing new people on board to carry the tradition forward.
By Andy Brew, Nelson Mail
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