Martin Manley, 76, scalloper and advocate for fishermen

He was 16 when he started his life at sea, and by age 20, Mr. Manley had become one of the youngest skippers in New Bedford fishing. He thrived on the tumultuous life of the commercial fisherman, at one time bringing home a record amount of scallops. And when the industry soured, he became an advocate for fishermen throughout the region, serving as the city’s Harbor Development Commissioner for many years.

“He was a tremendous asset to New Bedford,’’ Mayor Scott Lang said. “He had a tremendous amount of expertise regarding the fishing industry, waterfront, and then he became a great public servant.’’

After nearly four decades at sea, he became the city’s first director of the recreational boating marina, drawing up plans so fishermen and recreational boaters could coexist.

“He gave the scallop industry a voice with the federal government,’’ said his son, Martin D. of Dartmouth. As for New Bedford waterways, “he made it what it is, a successful entity for the city,’’ his son said.

Mr. Manley was diagnosed with a brain tumor Aug. 6 and died 10 days later at his home in Fairhaven. He was 76.

“He was an incredibly well-respected personality in New Bedford for his role working in the fishing industry and his role working as a public servant,’’ said Kristin Decas, executive director of the New Bedford Harbor Development Commission.

Mr. Manley started out as a deckhand and became a cook and engineer as he worked his way up to captain. His main education was “the school of hard knocks,’’ said his son Timothy of Freetown. “He was tough as nails.’’

In 1954, he made headlines for bringing back a record-setting 42,000-pound catch. At age 30, his fingers were crushed while he was out at sea, and he was airlifted to an area hospital. But that did not slow him.

He typically ran a tight ship and had a way of commanding respect, family said.

“He was stern, but you knew where you stood with him,’’ his son Timothy said. “He was a master psychologist, and that was his edge. He was very honest, and there was nothing phony about him.’’

Like many fishermen, he stuck with the industry superstitions, forbidding whistling, discouraging spouses from being near the boat during launch day, and viewing a bird killed on deck and a hatch cover turned over as bad luck.

And he could often be heard saying his signature phrase, “Finest kind.’’

He was especially proud of the 100-foot Mary Anne, which he built and named for his daughter. It was one of many boats working the waters off New Bedford, which supplied about 90 percent of the sea scallops consumed by Americans in the 1980s.

But the numbers of vessels seeking scallops increased, and boats like the Mary Anne were hit hard.

After one 10-day hunt in 1985, he lamented the industry’s changing dynamics. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen it as bad as this,’’ he told the Associated Press. “This business is really gone.’’

On that particular trip, he said the eight-member crew accumulated $34,000 in scallops, but after paying off expenses, they each made $300, “and we’re one of the better boats,’’ he explained.

Still, for his crew, which often included his sons, “he always managed to get us a paycheck,’’ Timothy said.

He made his last expedition in 1987. As he became more politically involved, he pushed for scallopers to meet with state leaders to ask them to convince Washington to help them compete with Canadian counterparts selling fish at cheaper prices.

And in the mid-1980s, he shifted to fishing industry-related roles. After heading the New Bedford Harbor Development Commission from the late 1980s to the early 1990s, he became the first manager of the Popes Island Marina until 2007.

“He really made the fishing industry what it is,’’ said Mona Provencher, a former colleague.

“He lived a full, exciting life,’’ Lang said. “I’ve never met anyone who didn’t think highly of him. He just had a tremendous amount of respect and more friends than anyone I know.’’

In addition to his sons Timothy and Martin D., Mr. Manley leaves his former wife Denyse M. (Doody) of New Bedford; three other sons, Thomas M. of East Freetown, James P. and John P. of Assonet; a daughter, Mary Anne Mont of East Freetown; a brother, Thomas of New Bedford; two sisters, Mary Close of Denver, and Anne Lemenager of Fairhaven; and four granddaughters and four grandsons.

Services have been held.