April 29, 2016 — NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — The following was released by The New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center:
The New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center is pleased to announce its receipt of a $20,000 Maritime Heritage Grant. The grant will be used to fund the creation of a 15-minute orientation film, tentatively titled “Resilience: The Story of New Bedford’s Fishing Industry”.
The Center will work with Big Ocean Media to produce the film which will present an overview of the history and development of New Bedford’s commercial fishing industry from 1900 to the present, exploring life at sea, life on shore, and sustaining the resource. The Center expects to complete the film in time for the 2017 summer season.
The film will be shown at the Fishing Heritage Center (opening June 25th in the heart of New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park). In addtition, the film will be shown at the City’s Waterfront Visitor Center, the State Pier Ferry Terminal, to passengers on board the Seastreak Fast Ferry (providing transit between New Bedford and Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket), and to passengers on cruise ships that visit New Bedford on weekly basis during the summer months. Copies of the film will also be made available to local schools and libraries.
The Maritime Heritage Program is part of the National Park Service’s Park History Program. For centuries, Americans have used waterways for commerce, transportation, defense, and recreation. The Maritime Heritage Program works to advance awareness and understanding of the role of maritime affairs in the history of the United States. Winners of the 2015 Maritime Heritage Grants were announced on Monday, April 25, 2016 on board the USS Constellation in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. A total of $2,580,197.37 was awarded to 34 projects in 19 states.