December 10, 2018 — Massachusetts is home to the nation’s top fishing port. More than $300 million in seafood lands in New Bedford every year.
But the kinds of seafood are changing.
Rising ocean temperatures are driving southern fish species into our coastal waters. Today’s there are strict catch limits on Massachusetts’ state fish, the Atlantic cod. Scallops are now the New Bedford fishing industry’s primary source of revenue.
In response, local researchers are developing artificial intelligence to promote smarter fishing. And private companies are working on alternatives — including bioengineered fish and even fish flesh grown in laboratories.