When William Hogarth visited New Bedford in January 2005, the city was reeling from the loss of five fishermen who had perished at sea when their scalloper sank off Nantucket in rough weather.
Hogarth, then the top federal fisheries administrator, listened to frustrated fishermen complain about rigid fishing rules that were responsible for tragedies such as the Northern Edge sinking.
Hogarth’s visit led to federal funding that helped then-Mayor Frederick Kalisz establish the city’s now successful safety training program for commercial fishermen. Prior to Hogarth’s visit, he had pledged his support for changing scallop fishing rules blamed for sinking the Northern Edge. The rules penalized fishermen for breaking fishing trips to avoid bad weather, forcing captains to choose between economic gain and the safety of their crews. The rules were later amended to accommodate bad weather.