In Memory of

Daniel

Myer

Cohen

Obituary for Daniel Myer Cohen

Daniel Myer Cohen, a pillar of the East Coast commercial fishing industry, and an eloquent spokesperson for commercial fishermen throughout America, died on November 20, 2018 in Cape May, NJ, at the age of 63, after a heroic, decade-long, struggle with cancer. Danny,” as he was known, took over the small fishing-dock and several fishing boats left to him by his father, Joseph Cohen, in 1976 and built it into Atlantic Capes Fisheries, Inc., an industry leading vertically integrated seafood enterprise. ACF’s fleet of fishing vessels, working out of company owned facilities in Ocean City Maryland, Cape May and Point Pleasant New Jersey, and additional ports in New England, supply seafood to company owned processing plants in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. In his emerging role as a public advocate, Danny recognized that ensuring a sustainable wild harvest industry depended upon responsible environmental and resource stewardship. Among many other activities in the field of fisheries science, policy and management, Danny appeared before Congress, served in leadership roles in a variety of governmental agencies and advocacy organizations, and engaged the industry to advocate for - and financially support - scientific research needed to sustainably manage the fisheries.
Illustrating the advancing impact of applied research to seafood aquaculture, Danny worked with Rutgers University and founded Cape May Salt Oyster Company, re-vitalizing the Delaware Bay oyster industry by growing a disease resistant strain of oysters that can be found on the menus of some the nation’s finest restaurants. Well over a decade ago, Danny also recognized both the benefits of offshore wind development and its impact on commercial fisheries. In an effort to protect the fishing industry while harnessing its maritime expertise, Danny galvanized the industry by founding Fishermen’s Energy of New Jersey, LLC, which was poised to build the first offshore wind farm in the United States. While New Jersey’s political climate stymied a decade of progress, the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities named Danny New Jersey’s 2009 “Clean Energy Advocate of the Year.” Through Danny’s unbridled work ethic over the past four decades, he played an instrumental role in developing these, and a host of other projects spanning the globe. Daniel Myer Cohen was born on March 3, 1955 in Vineland, New Jersey. He was the youngest child of Joseph Cohen, a trucking and commercial boat operator born in the Alliance Colony and his mother, Doris Cohen nee Maier, a refugee from Nazi Germany. Danny expressed his love of Judaism through an interest in Musar, a Jewish ethical, educational, and cultural movement whose name encapsulates Danny’s philosophy of life: Musar can be translated as “upright conduct.” Danny is survived by his daughter Dorit with ex-wife Mindy Silver; his sister Maxi; brother Barry and sister-in-law Ronnie; his nephews, nieces and cousins; loving companion Sharon; and by the many friends he has made in the seafood industry including the nearly 500 member ACF family that Danny helped to build and nurture. The family extends its gratitude to the home health aides from Synergy HomeCare as well as the hospice nurses and staff from Holy Redeemer Hospice.
Relatives and friends are invited to attend funeral services Sunday, November 25th, at 10:30am at Shirat Hayam Synagogue, 700 N. Swarthmore Ave., Ventnor NJ. Interment is private. Shiva will be held at the home of Barry and Ronnie Cohen in Linwood NJ. In lieu of flowers, charitable contributions in Danny’s memory can be made to the Sarcoma Foundation of America – curesarcoma.org, or for donations to Alliance Synagogue, please contribute to Alliance Synagogue c/o Jewish Federation of Cumberland County 1015 E. Park Ave., Suite B Vineland N.J. 08360.