Fish doesn't just appear on our plates. Next time I wonder where the seafood I'm eating comes from, I'll remember to say a silent thank you to the person who caught it.

When a beautiful piece of monkfish or fluke appears on our plates, we tend to spend each bite appreciating its flavor, texture, preparation, and presentation. Even if we care about provenance enough to learn that it came from, say, Port Judith, we don't spend much time thinking about the people who caught it.

We should. Fishing can be a difficult and treacherous occupation, as a near miss by Arnold reminds us. Earlier this week, he and his crew lost their ship, Elizabeth Helen, a few miles away from Block Island. They are fine, wonderfully, magically fine. The ship capsized while they were aboard. Through quick thinking, they were able to escape and get on a life raft. They were rescued by the Coast Guard.

I'll let Arnold tell the story in his words:

"We got out of a pretty hairy situation. It was quite a struggle.