ROCKLAND — Random firecracker-like sounds whipped the air around the Rockland Municipal Fish Pier on a July midmorning. The source of those cracks came from Neil Harrick, sitting on the back rim of a commercial transport truck, supervising the first offload of most recent haul from the fishing vessel Western Sea.

Whether the cracks were to scare away the seagulls, the passing tourist boat with cameras aimed at the docked boat, or the lurking reporter, who was already catching the spray of herring juice that dripped from the truck bed, it made no difference. None were fazed.

Tourist cameras clicked, the reporter stayed, and the gulls swarmed the open truck bed as the pile of fish grew larger by the second.

The herring haul from the previous night — for schools of herring drift up from the ocean bottom after sunset — is estimated at between 150,000 to 200,000 pounds. It’s a lighter load than sometimes is brought in by the Sea, but the Sea, with its maximum fish storage capacity of 300,000 pounds, has seven days a week from June until Halloween to meet its quotas.

Every morning that the Sea has a load to transport, it motors several hours from the past night’s fishing ground, alerting Fish Pier manager Al Gourde that the vessel is 30-45 minutes out from Rockland Harbor. The captain also alerts contractors to have the transport trucks ready.

Four trucks are needed for a haul of this size. For a haul of 300,000, seven trucks will jockey for space on the pier.

The Sea chases herring in every direction from Bar Harbor to Portsmouth along the coast and to points beyond Matinicus, more than 30 miles out.

During the night hauls, the crew will locate a school of herring and drop a large seine net down upon the entire school. To divide a school of herring is a bad thing. Not just because the crew loses potential profit during the swipe, but because herring are smart, according to crew member Andrew Bannow.

Bannow sported rubber boots with the legs cut off, creating an oddly grass-roots croc-style appearance. His tie-dye T-shirt with ‘The Weird One’ written on it was made by his wife.

Bannow is onboard the Sea with five crew mates and owner/operator Glen Robins during the herring season.

Herring, according to Bannow, are smart enough to notice the danger that occurred. Once a school is divided, it will never reform. Why? Because no herring is going to return to an area where dead fish lie on the ocean floor.

But the seine netting is good for capturing schools. The fish are scooped into a bag-like enclosure, the ends pulled closed like a purse string.

With the filled netting in hand, the crew inspect the load, returning any stowaway squid or mackerel to the ocean.

Friendly seals offer assistance, should the caught herring require immediate eating. That never happens.

And, seine netting gives way for any whale that finds itself within the ropes, according to Bannow.

If the Sea fills its fish hold to capacity, but more fishing opportunities remain available, the crew call upon the Owls Head, a vessel built in 1922 that has transported only herring during its entire career on the water.

If the Sea has overtaken its quota, crew offer their excess to the other seven vessels in the herring fleet.

In the morning, they make their way to shore.

Most of the herring is used as lobster bait, but later in the season some of the herring will find their way into canned products for human consumption. A few fish will get swallowed whole by the gulls, lured to the pier by those smells produced when handling fish.

The offloading process takes several hours. Boat to truck bed, truck bed to crate. Salt preservation. Back to truck.

When the hold is clear and the trucks leave, the crew return to their stations on board. If lucky, one or two might catch a nap on their bunks, or grab a snack in the galley.

In three to four hours they’ll arrive at their fishing spot. The sun will set, and the work will begin anew.

Glen Robins is owner and operator of the Western Sea. Crewmembers are, Andrew Bannow, Neil Harrick, Shawn Rocket, Steven Ames, Steven Little, and Ethan Chase.

The fishing vessel Western Wave also docks at the Municipal Fish Pier. Aside from being born of the same boatyard at about the same time, the two herring boats are not related, according to Bannow.

Reach Sarah Thompson at news@penbaypilot.com.