Other News

The federal government is banning black sea bass angling, beginning Monday, for 180 days because the year’s catch is already over the 2009 quota.

The ban covers only federal waters that run from three to 200 miles offshore – but this is where 96 percent of New Jersey’s keeper black sea bass are landed. Fish are caught inside three miles, but are generally too small to keep. The minimum size is 12.5 inches.

The ban also would apply in state waters for anyone holding a federal permit to land black sea bass, said Maggie Mooney-Seus, of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA.

Read the complete story at Press of Atlantic City. 

For most people, digging quahogs evokes pleasant images of barefoot summer days and sparkling water.

The hardy souls harvesting the bivalves for a living have a different view, especially those like New Bedford’s Kenny Breton and Norberto Cristobal, who are licensed shellfish divers.

Breton, who started diving commercially this summer, is learning the ropes from Cristobal, a wily veteran and probably the only man in the city who dives the local waters year-round. Breton has already discovered that it’s no day at the beach.

Read the complete story at The South Coast Today.

Scallop shells were flying, whaling boats were moving and fish were frying on the first day of the Working Waterfront Festival on the city’s port.

Saturday’s sunny, crisp weather was a welcome change from last year’s downpours, and visitors came from all over to get a sense of what life is like when commercial fishing is your living.

"The fishing industry is New Bedford, and we should be proud of it and support it," Associate Director Kirsten Bendiksen said.

New faces and new attractions cropped up at this year’s event, as organizers included farming in the festival’s theme. Farmers and fishermen have more in common than one might realize at first glance.

Read the complete story at The South Coast Today.

VOICES FROM THE PORT is a series of short radio pieces based on oral histories collected as part of the Working Waterfront Documentation Project.  The four minute programs are designed to provide another window into the history and culture of the working port, and encourage listeners to visit New Bedford, America’s #1 Port to learn more.  Topics include: Storms at Sea, Women in the Industry, Changes in Technology and more.  The project was made possible with funding from the Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities. Look and listen to the entire week’s "Voices from the Port" audio series!  [click here]

Women are employed in many aspects of the commercial fishing industry– as captains and deckhands, in processing plants and shoreside businesses, as advocates, fisheries scientists and boat owners. 

One woman worked in a fish processing and packing plant, and says the ratio was 65% female, 35% male, excluding management. Women did have to face prejudice, not just from fishermen but from lumpers and laborers on the docks, but these days the role is open to both sexes, however it seems that women do have to prove themselves from the very beginning.

Listen to the commentary here.

Organizers are expecting record crowds at the Sixth Working Waterfront Festival this weekend, when the waterfront will be transformed from a commercial fishing port into a public celebration of the fishing industry.

Held today from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., the festival will span Fisherman’s Wharf/Pier 3, State Pier and Steamship Pier, welcoming visitors with a variety of activities for all ages.

"I think it’s going to be the biggest crowd we’ve ever had," said director Laura Orleans Friday evening as she hosted a harbor tour for out-of-town participants in the festival. Other organizers were hanging signs and banners in preparation for the event.

Read the complete story at The South Coast Today.

David Kinney, whose book about the monthlong Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass & Bluefish Derby has been optioned by Steven Spielberg, returned to the Rock today.

This year’s derby is underway, but Kinney wasn’t there to fish. The author of "The Big One: An Island, An Obsession, and the Furious Pursuit of a Great Fish" spoke to injured vets who were invited by derby organizers to take part in the tourney. (The soldiers, who came from hospitals in Maine and D.C., were put up at Bob Nixon’s Beach Plum Inn in Chilmark and treated to a special screening of Spielberg’s classic "Jaws.") Kinney isn’t sure when the book might make it to the big screen, but he’s not holding his breath.

Read the complete story at The Boston Globe.

New England’s fishermen harvest millions of pounds of seafood each year.  Anyone who has fished for any length of time has a story about something unexpected that came up in the net.

Depth charges from have been caught which would sometimes actually explode on the way to the surface. Every fisherman seems to have caught glass and bottles at one point or another, but one man had caught a walrus tusk that was examined by a professor and was determined to be 20,000-25,000 years old.

Once a fisherman thought he had caught a cane, but he later found out it was a femur bone. Another had an airplane caught in his net! 

Listen to the commentary by clicking here.

It should come as no surprise that a waterfront festival focused on the lives of fishermen and farmers should feature music, cooking demonstrations and traditional skills from Native American tribes who have harvested their food from the land, sea and river for generations.

The bulging schedule for this weekend’s Working Waterfront Festival includes a variety of opportunities to learn from Native American performers, among them: Inupiat whalemen from Barrow, Alaska; Choctaw fishermen and farmers from Mississippi; and native singers and drummers representing the Wampanoag, Chippewa and Abenaki native nations.

"These folks harvest from the water and they harvest from the land," said Bob Rocha of the New Bedford Whaling Museum. "They do their best to do it in the way that they have for a long, long time. Obviously they do it to provide for their needs and in a way that minimizes waste and shows a respect for the resources."

Read the complete story at The South Coast Today.

2009 Theme: Surf and Turf: Fishermen and Farmers Finding Common Ground.
Welcome aboard as New Bedford, America ’s largest commercial fishing port, hosts the 6th Working Waterfront Festival, a celebration of commercial fishing culture.

See also: Working Waterfront Festival will whet your appetite.

More than simply a celebration, the Working Waterfront Festival is a unique opportunity for the public to get a firsthand look at the culture of fishing and for the commercial fishing community to tell its own story. The event presents all that goes into bringing seafood from the ocean to the table in a way that is hands-on, educational and fun. Visitors are encouraged to listen and watch, but also to taste, touch and converse.  The FREE festival takes place Saturday and Sunday, September 26th and 27th on the working piers and waterfront parks of the Port of New Bedford .  Free parking is available at the City’s Elm Street Garage.  Complete information including directions, a festival map and a schedule of events is posted on the festival web site: www.workingwaterfrontfestival.org

FESTIVAL OVERVIEW
More than simply a celebration, the Working Waterfront Festival is a unique opportunity for the public to get a firsthand look at the culture of fishing and for the commercial fishing community to tell its own story. The event presents all that goes into bringing seafood from the ocean to the table in a way that is hands-on, educational and fun. Visitors are encouraged to listen and watch, but also to taste, touch and converse.  The FREE festival takes place Saturday and Sunday, September 26th and 27th on the working piers and waterfront parks of the Port of New Bedford.  Free parking is available at the City’s Elm Street Garage.  Complete information including directions, a festival map and a schedule of events is posted on the festival web site: www.workingwaterfrontfestival.org
 
2009 FESTIVAL THEME
SURF & TURF: FISHERMEN AND FARMERS FINDING COMMON GROUND

The 2009 Working Waterfront Festival considers connections between fishing and farming communities in a special program, “Surf and Turf: Fishermen and Farmers Finding Common Ground.” Farming, like fishing, is a way of life. Fishermen and farmers share a deep knowledge of, reverence for and dependence upon the natural world. Both groups pass traditional skills and knowledge from one generation to the next, often incorporating new technologies alongside traditional practices.  Both communities also face many of the same economic, environmental and political challenges.  Plans for this special program include an open air market featuring local produce and fresh seafood; cooking demonstrations highlighting traditional community recipes; panel discussions; author readings and film screenings which explore common issues; and occupational demonstrations of fishing and farming skills.

PERFORMERS
The Festival brings together a unique array of music presented on three stages.  Performances include traditional sea chanteys, music reflecting the industry’s ethnic diversity, music about commercial fishing often performed by musicians who work in the industry and music tied to this year’s farming theme.
 
Back by popular demand
The Johnson Girls: An all female a cappella quartet, present sea chanteys from around the globe
New Bedford Harbor Sea Chantey Chorus: Hosted and organized by the Schooner Ernestina, this 43-member chorus was created in 2001. The repertoire includes a variety of chanteys and songs that reflect the rich maritime heritage of New Bedford and the region
Sharks Come Cruisin’: a Providence-based band electrifies traditional chanteys in a sound that has been compared to the Drop Kick Murphys and Great Big Sea Souls of the Sea: a Gloucester based folk-rock trio perform original music about commercial fishing
Ana Vinagre: a local legend performs Portuguese fado with her ensemble
 
New this year
Barnacle: a high energy Celtic/nautical/folk group nominated as one of Motif Magazine’s top new acts of 2009
Grupo Fuerza Quichelence: a Guatemalan Mayan band plays Latin dance music reflecting the large community of Mayans living in New Bedford, many of whom were farmers in their homeland, but now work in the City’s fishing industry
Iron River Singers: will open the festival with a traditional Native American drum circle
 
Something Fishy
Several performers who write from personal experience working in the industry are also on tap for the weekend as part of Something Fishy, a song/poetry swap of material created and performed by fishermen.

Jim McGrath: Jim McGrath has been performing for over 30 years. His repertoire includes original songs as well as sea chanteys, Irish and British Isles Ballads, and American traditional and contemporary songs he has performed on ships and in concert halls and saloons in Ireland, Germany and across the Eastern seaboard.

Jon Campbell: For the past 25 years, Jon has been writing and performing music based on the wide range of experience available to those people living in coastal regions, the tourists, the cuisine, the fisheries, cranky Yankees and an assortment of humorous and poignant characters.

Dave Densmore of Kodiak, AK is a lifelong fisherman, earning a full share on a Kodiak seiner by the time he was twelve and purchasing his first boat soon after. Dave started writing poetry in the late 70’s.  He was featured in the documentary Fisherpoets and on Good Morning America.                      

Bob Quinn: of Eagle Island, ME lobsterman and mail boat driver carries on his Uncle’s recitation tradition.

Farm related performers
This year we also have several performers who present music related to the culture of farming.
Joel Nelson: A cowboy poet and Texas rancher is the recipient of a 2009 National Heritage Award, the highest honor bestowed on traditional artists.
Three Cats and a Dog: play contra dance & swing music with caller/cranberry farmer John Alden.
The Good Old Plough: sharing songs from New Hampshire’s farming legacy dating back to the 18th century.
 
FESTIVAL FOOD
We are pleased to announce the expansion of food offerings at this year’s event.  The Oxford Creamery will continue to serve up a full menu of the finest local seafood including fish and chips, fried scallops, lobster rolls and quahog chowder. M&C Café will offer grilled scallops, chourico, beef and veggies. Cuttyhunk Shellfish Farms will provide a raw bar and the Waterfront Grille will have several varieties of sushi. Other food vendors this year include: Café Arpeggio serving its own Home Made Ice Cream, Del’s Lemonade and The Veteran’s Transition House providing hotdogs and hamburgers.
 
COOKING DEMONSTRATIONS
The Foodways Area (Pier 3) features cooking demonstrations by galley cooks, ethnic cooks and celebrity chefs.  Here visitors are invited to learn the basics of preparing fresh seafood at home as well as ethnic approaches to seafood cooking and galley fare.  This year’s demonstrations feature locally grown produce with several demonstrations on putting foods by.  Recipe cards will be available and the raw ingredients for most recipes will be available for sale at the festival farmer’s market.
 
FARMERS’ MARKET
A festival about fishing and farming would not be complete without a farmers’ market.  Ours is located on State Pier and features produce and specialty items from a number of local farms as well as informational booths from producers of grass fed beef, raw milk and several area farm organizations.  In addition, The Big Fish Company will be selling fresh, local fish and lobsters. Lees’ Market in Westport has generously donated re-usable cloth bags to be given to the first 250 people who make a purchase at the farmers’ market.
 
FILMS
The Dock-U-Mentary Film Area (Pier 3) screens historic and contemporary footage taken at sea and on shore, chronicling the history and experiences of the working waterfront and the commercial fishing industry.  Many presentations feature live narration by fishermen, filmmakers and others. Several short documentary films will also be shown including several programs on farming. 
 
PANEL DISCUSSIONS
Our Narrative Stage (Pier 3) brings the stories of the fishing industry to life with interactive panel discussions. Many of this year’s topics reflect the festival theme including: Fishing Families and Family Farm, Watching the Weather and Saving the Farm, Preserving the Port. These discussions are recorded and archived as part of our ongoing Working Waterfront Documentation Project.
 
AUTHORS
A number of well-known authors read from and sign their books on commercial fishing, the marine environment, food and farming.  Baker Books, an independent bookseller, operates an on-site Festival Bookstore (located adjacent to the Narrative Stage on Pier 3) hosting author signings and selling titles of participating authors including Dedee Shattuck (Farmers), Randy Peffer (Bangkok Dragons, Cape Cod Tears), Kathy Neustadt (Clambake), and Casey Sherman (The Finest Hours).
 
CONTESTS & DEMONSTRATIONS OF INDUSTRY SKILLS
Contests offer a unique opportunity to watch those who work in the commercial fishing industry show off the skills of their trade. All contests will take place on the Contest Stage (located at Steamship Pier).  This stage will also be the site for presentations featuring the latest in safety related gear and demonstrating the “tools of the trade” associated with various types of inshore fishing and both inshore and off-shore lobstering.  This year’s contests include:  Scallop Shucking, Fish Filleting, Net Mending, Link Squeezing, Splicing and Survival Suit Races.  In addition, visitors can watch whaleboat races and a tugboat muster from the On Water Activities Viewing Area at the head of State Pier.  Learn first hand about historic and contemporary skills of the industry by visiting the industry skills demonstration booths (Steamship Pier) including: net making, knot tying, rigging, scallop dredge making, inshore fishing and more.
 
NATIVE FISHERMEN AND FARMERS
This year, the Working Waterfront Festival welcomes several new participants, brought to the festival through the New Bedford Whaling Museum’s participation in a program called ECHO.  ECHO (Education through Cultural and Historical Organizations) is a federally funded project, directed by the Department of Education that connects cultures in Massachusetts, Alaska, Hawaii and Mississippi.  Many of these connections were created by the whaling industry in the 1800s.  Sharing the Harvest brings to New Bedford two traditional subsistence whalers and hunters from Barrow, Alaska, and two subsistence farmer/fisherfolk from Choctaw, Mississippi to share their stories of harvest, their traditions of bead and clothing making and their tales of survival.  Jonathan Perry, Senior Tribal Cultural Resource Monitor for the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head, will demonstrate traditional maritime skills
 
TOURS
Vessel Tours
Don’t miss the opportunity to learn about the different types of fishing vessels first-hand by getting on board one or more of the vessels offering dockside tours and talking with the crew. Vessels offering dockside tours include: a trawler, a deep-sea clammer, a scalloper, an off-shore lobster boat and a tug boat.  In addition, a Coast Guard lifeboat and a Coast Guard Patrol Boat will be available for tours as well as Schooner Ernestina, a 108’ traditional schooner, the official vessel of the Commonwealth.
 
Harbor Tours
Whaling City Expeditions offers 55-minute harbor tours departing hourly on both Saturday and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.
 
UNITED STATES COAST GUARD
The U.S. Coast Guard presents a number of activities from their location at State Pier.  A Coast Guard lifeboat (south side of Pier 3) and patrol boat (east side of State Pier) are available for dockside tours both Saturday and Sunday.  Please visit the Coast Guard booth located at Coast Guard Park.
 
ON THE WATER ACTIVITIES
Whaleboat Races – The Buzzards Bay Rowing Club presents whaleboat races from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, September 26th.  Come cheer on your favorite team.  Best viewing: head of State Pier.
 
Whaleboat Rides – Try your hand at rowing a replica whaleboat.  Buzzards Bay rowers will be on hand to provide instruction at Tonnessen Park on Saturday from 2-5 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.
 
Tugboat Muster – Watch tugboats at work as they compete for bragging rights in hawser tossing and pushing contests on Saturday from 3-5 p.m. Best viewing: head of State Pier.
 
BLESSING OF THE FLEET
On Sunday, September 27th the 40th Annual Blessing of the Fleet takes place on State Pier beginning at 1:00 p.m. A time-honored tradition, the Blessing gives the fishing community an opportunity to celebrate and reflect on the successes of the past year and to ask that the Lord’s good blessing continue in the following year to keep each vessel and its crew safe during each voyage.
 
KIDS ACTIVITIES
Be sure to visit the Kid’s Activity Tent located on Steamship Pier on Saturday and Sunday from 11 to 5  for a boatload of make and take art activities including fish prints, shell decorating, paper boat making and more.  Hands-on marine and fisheries science activities are presented by the Ocean Explorium’s WOW Mobile and SMAST (School for Marine Science and Technology at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth) (Steamship Pier).  The Kid’s Area also features family friendly performances by Sue and April Grant and Good Old Plough.  Cartoonist Steve Brosnihan (author of Cartoonagrams) will teach kids to create cartoons of sea creatures using the letters of the alphabet.  Children’s author Martha Zschock will read and sign her book Journey to Cape Cod.  Additional Kids Activities organized by the Sharing the Harvest Farm at the Dartmouth YMCA will be presented at the State Pier Farmers Market from 11am to 5pm.
 
SPONSORS
The Working Waterfront Festival is supported by a diverse coalition of individuals, businesses and educational and cultural organizations.  Producing Partners of the 2009 Festival are National Endowment for the Arts, Island Foundation and Whaling City Seafood Display Auction.  Major support is also provided by The City of New Bedford, Harbor Development Commission, Community Foundation of Southeastern Massachusetts SEEAL Fund, United States Coast Guard, New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park, National Council for the Traditional Arts and Massachusetts Cultural Council. The Festival is a project of the Community Economic Development Center of Southeastern Massachusetts.
 
The Working Waterfront Festival is a project of the Community Economic Development Center of Southeastern MA, a non-profit organization. The FREE festival, a family friendly, educational celebration of New England’s commercial fishing industry, features live maritime and ethnic music, fishermen’s contests, fresh seafood, vessel tours, author readings, cooking demonstrations, kid’s activities and more.  It all takes place in New Bedford, MA, America’s #1 fishing port, on the fourth full weekend of September.  Navigate to us at www.workingwaterfrontfestival.org.
 
 

Office Phone: 508-993-8894
 
Working Waterfront Festival
Port of New Bedford
 
Celebrating Commercial Fishing, America’s Oldest Industry
Navigate to us on the web at www.workingwaterfrontfestival.org