More than a dozen local watermen have paid a small fee this year to help provide limited maintenance for the old Perrin Wharf, a spot especially popular for crabbers.

Harrison Bresee, regional planner for the Middle Peninsula Planning District Commission, said during a tour of the property on July 31 that 13 watermen had each paid the $25 annual fee for loading and offloading their boats at the pier, located at the south terminus of Perrin Wharf Road in lower Gloucester County. In addition, two watermen each paid $50 to keep their boats at the pier overnight for one month—instead of the regular $100 monthly fee.

But it’s a start, Bresee said, as the $425 has helped repair some pier boards and allowed MPPDC staff to erect some signs and purchase a trash can for the convenience of those who use the pier. Nearby residents volunteer to pick up the trash bags periodically, he said.

MPPDC serves as staff for the Middle Peninsula Public Access Authority, and the authori...