September 26, 2013 — Have you ever watched fishermen show their expert skills as they mend nets or had the chance to climb aboard and learn about one of the fishing vessels that operate from the New Bedford waterfront?
Visitors to this weekend's 10th annual Working Waterfront Festival will have a opportunity to enjoy these activities, gain a better understanding of the area's commercial fishing culture, and meet many of the dedicated individuals who earn a livelihood from the sea.
According to Laura Orleans, festival director, the much-anticipated festival provides visitors with a chance to consider how commercial fishing and coastal communities have changed during the past decade and what the future holds for the vital industry that plays a crucial role in our local economy. Festival programming will offer a retrospective look at past themes, including Sustainability; Safety at Sea; the Future of the Industry; Women in the Industry; Preservation of Ports; Fishermen & Farmers; the Cultural Mosaic of New England's Working Ports; Tradition & Innovation; and Narrative Tradition.
"The Working Waterfront Festival is an educational celebration," Orleans emphasizes, adding that the event "opens the port to the public."
Noting that much of the work of commercial fishing happens out of sight of shore — often 200 miles out at sea — Orleans says that the Working Waterfront Festival educates people of all ages about how seafood gets from the ocean to the table, and also provides a forum for the seafood industry to showcase its many achievements.
"As a folklorist, I often find that people often have more in common than they realize," Orleans continues. "The festival provides a space for those within and outside of the fishing industry to find common ground. And this understanding is integral to keeping the waterfront working."
Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard-Times