Saving Seafood

MASSACHUSETTS: Sunset Cruise to Benefit Fishing Heritage Center

September 26, 2016 — The following was released by the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center:

The New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center will host a sunset harbor cruise fundraiser aboard the M/V Cuttyhunk on Saturday, October 8 from 5-7 pm. Passengers will enjoy live music, a cash bar and light refreshments. Musical entertainment will be provided by Joanne Doherty and Jon Campbell.

Tickets are $40 and may be purchased at the Fishing Heritage Center. Tickets may be reserved by calling 508-993-8894 or sending an email to info@fishingheritagecenter.org. All proceeds will benefit the Center’s programs, exhibits and daily operations.

Located at 38 Bethel Street in the heart of New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park, the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center is dedicated to preserving and presenting the story of the commercial fishing industry past, present, and future through archives, exhibits, and programs. The Center is open to the public Thursday-Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, visit www.fishingheritagecenter.org.

Born and raised on the Southcoast with the working waterfront in her blood, Joanne Doherty spent her childhood climbing on her father’s scallop boats and painting them for summer jobs. For the last fifteen years she’s been performing throughout New England spinning her magic on a wide variety of songs selected from an eclectic catalogue of folk, blues and old standards combining her deft & delicate stylings on guitar and ukulele with a rich smooth voice.

Jon Campbell owned a workboat before he owned a car. In those days, bay scallops, clams and quahogs, flounder and lobsters were abundant in the coastal ponds and Narragansett Bay. Regulations were few and the commercial fisheries were still represented by independent men in wooden Eastern Rigs. 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.

Jon has been a recognized Rhode Island State Council on the Arts Folk Artist since 1982, and he has been involved in a large number of recording projects both as performer and producer. He is presently retired from a 25 year career in the motion picture industry, and yes he did work on the Perfect Storm, in addition to many more major releases. To fill in the blanks, Jon’s musical activities in the last year have ranged from Camden, Maine to Kodiak Alaska.

MASSACHUSETTS: New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center to host Seafood Throwdown

August 29, 2016 — The following was released by the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center:

The New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center, in collaboration with the Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance, Mass in Motion New Bedford/New Bedford Farmer’s Market, is pleased to present a Seafood Throwdown on AHA Night, Thursday, September 8th. The free event will take place beginning at 5:00 pm in Custom House Square located in downtown New Bedford.

Chefs Henry Bousquet (Culinary Arts Instructor at NB Voc-Tech) and Chris Cronin (Executive Chef at Farm & Coast Market, Padanaram) will compete to create a winning dish using a surprise locally caught seafood ingredient (usually an abundant, underappreciated, and underutilized species of seafood) and local produce. Judging their creations will be Heather Atwood, author of In Cod We Trust, Maria Lawton, author of Azorean Cooking: From My Family’s Table to Yours, and Andy Tomolonis, author of Organic Hobby Farming: A Practical Guide to Earth-Friendly Farming in Any Space.

Seafood Throwdowns are a collaboration between the Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance and fishing communities. They provide a unique opportunity to learn more about our local seafood, local fishing fleet and fisheries related issues affecting our ocean, fishing economies and coastal food systems. Chefs Bousquet and Cronin will educate and entertain you with their skills as they demonstrate how to work with whole, fresh, and very local seafood. The chefs can bring three of their favorite ingredients and once they discover the secret seafood they will be using, they are given $25 and 15 minutes to shop the Custom House Square Farmers’ Market for ingredients. After their shopping spree, they have one hour to cook and present their entry for the judge’s consideration.

Following the Throwdown, the public is invited to the Fishing Heritage Center (38 Bethel Street) to view the exhibit From Boat to Table and meet the judges (Atwood, Lawton, and Tomolonis) who will sign copies of their books from 7:30-8:30.

MASSACHUSETTS: New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center seeks volunteers

August 15, 2016 — The following was released by the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center:

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. – The Fishing Heritage Center is looking for volunteers to help with day to day operations and will launch an extensive training for those volunteers beginning in September. The Center, which opened to the public on June 25th, is dedicated to telling the story of the fishing industry past, present and future through exhibits, programs, and archives.

Beginning in September, volunteers will be invited to participate in a series of “insider” fieldtrips to learn first-hand about the fishing industry. Fieldtrips will include visits to the seafood auction, a processing plant, a gear shop, a shipyard, dockside vessel tours, and more. The training will also include lectures by fishermen, fisheries scientists, maritime authors, and other industry experts.

Volunteer opportunities include: welcoming visitors, staffing the reception area and gift shop, engaging visitors with the exhibits, assisting with educational programs, conducting research, and helping with special events.

For those with a fishing industry connection, we hope you will share your industry skills and knowledge with visitors by leading walking tours, demonstrating skills such as net mending, knot tying, or model boat making, or talking with school groups or the public about your work and life.

Volunteers are needed during Center operating hours (Thursday-Sunday 10-4) and for occasional evening programs and special events. Volunteer hours are flexible and can be scheduled according individual availability and particular areas of interest. The Center is located at 38 Bethel Street, in the heart of the National Park. The Center is wheelchair accessible and free off-street parking is provided to volunteers.

MASSACHUSETTS: FISHING HERITAGE CENTER OFFERS FREE ADMISSION THROUGH AUGUST 31

August 5, 2016 — The following was released by the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center:

New Bedford, Mass.— The New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center is pleased to announce free admission for the remainder of the month of August.

The Center’s inaugural exhibit From Boat to Table presents all aspects of the industry from the time a keel is laid on a vessel to the time the catch is landed and brought to market. A variety of interactive components include a net mending activity, dress up area, and Eastern Rig style pilothouse designed and built by Fairhaven Shipyard with electronics provided by Furuno USA.  The Center worked with Chris Danemayer and Neal Mayer of Proun Design to take the exhibit from concept to fabrication. A team of volunteer carpenters have assembled many of the exhibit components.

Additional displays include a list of over 300 waterfront nicknames compiled by industry veterans Paul Swain and Jim Dwyer over the past 50 years; a knot tying activity station created by Paul Vieira; and photographs of vessels taken by the late John “Choo Choo” Ryan.

The Center’s gift shop is stocked with books by local authors, maritime music CD’s, nautical jewelry, and unique crafts, many created by fishermen and others in the industry.

The Fishing Heritage Center is located at 38 Bethel Street, in the heart of the City’s historic district, and is open Thursday through Sunday 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and from 5:00-9:00 p.m. on AHA nights (the second Thursday of each month). Free off street parking is available in the lot adjacent to the Center.  The facility is wheelchair accessible.

Project will record oral histories of the local fishing industry

July 18, 2016 –NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — The New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center has received a prestigious Archie Green Fellowship from the Library of Congress to support a year-long effort to document shore-side workers in New Bedford and Fairhaven, center officials said,

The center received support for “Workers on the New Bedford Waterfront.” Folklorist and Director Laura Orleans, working with anthropologists, Madeleine Hall-Arber and Corinn Williams, oral historian, Fred Calabretta and photographer, Phil Mello will conduct a large ethnographic field project interviewing approximately 60 shore-side workers involved in the local commercial fishing industry.

The project will focus on recording oral histories about rarely documented occupational skills, knowledge, and trades including: marine electronics and engine repair; fish processing, packing, and trucking; the design and manufacture of fishing gear; work in ice plants and on fuel barges; offloading of fish and scallops; the seafood auction, settlement houses; and shipyard work, the center said in a news release.

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard-Times

MASSACHUSETTS: Fishing Heritage Center receives Library of Congress fellowship to document shore-side workers

July 15, 2016 — The following was released by the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center:

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — The New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center is pleased to announce its receipt of a prestigious Archie Green Fellowship from the Library of Congress to support a year-long effort to document shore-side workers in New Bedford/Fairhaven.

Archie Green (1917-2009) was a pioneering folklorist who championed the establishment of the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress, and who was awarded the Library’s Living Legend Award and honored in the Congressional Record [pdf].  Green documented and analyzed the culture and traditions of American workers and encouraged others to do the same. Archie Green Fellowships are designed to stimulate innovative research projects documenting occupational culture in contemporary America.  This year, Archie Green Fellowships went to four teams of researchers in four different regions of the country.

The New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center received support for “Workers on the New Bedford Waterfront.” Folklorist and Director Laura Orleans, working with anthropologists, Madeleine Hall-Arber and Corinn Williams, oral historian, Fred Calabretta and photographer, Phil Mello will conduct a large ethnographic field project interviewing approximately 60 shore-side workers involved in the local commercial fishing industry. The project will focus on recording oral histories about rarely documented occupational skills, knowledge, and trades including: marine electronics and engine repair; fish processing, packing, and trucking; the design and manufacture of fishing gear; work in ice plants and on fuel barges; offloading of fish and scallops; the seafood auction, settlement houses; and shipyard work.

The New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center is dedicated to telling the story of the fishing industry past, present and future through exhibits, programs, and archives. For more information, contact the Center at 508-993-8894 or info@fishingheritagecenter.org

MASSACHUSETTS: Fish Fry Fundraiser To Benefit Fishing Heritage Center

July 7, 2016 — The following was released by the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center:

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — The New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center will hold its second annual Fish Fry Fundraiser on Friday, July 22nd from 6-11 pm at Cotali Mar Restaurant (1178 Acushnet Avenue).

Guests will enjoy platters of fresh local fish donated by Bergie’s Seafood and prepared by the chefs at Cotali Mar. Live music will be provided by Paul Savoie and Richie Canastra. The event will include a cash bar, and silent and live auctions. Tickets are $35 ($15 for kids 12 and under) and may be purchased by phone or in person at the Center or on line through the Center’s Facebook page. All proceeds will benefit the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center, a 501c3 non-profit organization. For more information contact the Center at 508-993-8894 or info@fishingheritagecenter.org.

The New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center opened to the public on June 25th. Current hours of operation are Thursday-Sunday 10-4. Located at 38 Bethel Street in the heart of New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park, the Center’s inaugural exhibit From Boat to Table presents all aspects of the industry from the time a keel is laid on a vessel to the time the catch is landed and brought to market. A variety of interactive components include a net mending activity, dress up area, and Eastern Rig style pilothouse designed and built by Fairhaven Shipyard with electronics provided by Furuno USA.

During 2016 the Center will continue to present Dock-u-mentaries, its monthly film/speaker series and Something Fishy, its free summer camp program presented in collaboration with the National Park and Whaling History Alliance. Weekly cruise ship programs and fishermen-led walking tours will be offered during the summer months.  A variety of public programs including author readings, talks, occupational demonstrations, and performances will be presented.  The Center is also working in collaboration with MIT Sea Grant, UMass Dartmouth, UMass Boston, and the New Bedford Free Public Library on a year-long initiative to create a digital archive of fishing community history with funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

SMAST Fisheries scientists to present current cooperative research projects at Dock-u-mentaries program

May 9, 2016 — The Dock-U-Mentaries Film Series continues on Friday, May 20th at 7:00 PM with Fishing for Knowledge: Cooperative Research for Sustainable Fisheries in New England. Dock-u-entaries is a co-production of New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park, the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center, and the Working Waterfront Festival. Films about the working waterfront are screened on the third Friday of each month beginning at 7:00 PM in the theater of the Corson Maritime Learning Center, located at 33 William Street in downtown New Bedford. All programs are open to the public and presented free of charge.

Read the full story at the New Bedford Guide

Massachusetts: Fishing Heritage Center Launches Effort to Digitize Community History

May 3, 2016 — The following was released by the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center:

New Bedford, MA— May is National Preservation Month, a time when people across America celebrate their history, culture, and special places. The New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center will host two free events dedicated to preserving the cultural heritage of the local fishing community.

On Tuesday, May 10th at 7:00 p.m., the Center hosts an Industry Antiques Road Show. Several members of the fishing community will display family photographs, documents, and artifacts and share stories about how the industry and community have changed over time.  This event will be held at the Fishing Heritage Center (38 Bethel Street, New Bedford) providing attendees with a sneak peek of the space which opens to the public on June 25th.

On Saturday, May 21st at New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park (33 William Street, New Bedford) the Center will hold a Fishing Heritage Digitizing Day from 11:00-3:30. Fishing community members are invited to bring photographs, documents and/or artifacts reflecting their fishing heritage. These items will be scanned and/or photographed to create a digital record.  Preservation specialists will provide advice about preserving your past and industry experts will help identify people and places in photographs. An oral historian will record community stories.

Those who participate by sharing their photographs, documents, or artifacts will be given a USB drive containing the scanned images of their materials.  Digital files will be archived at UMASS Boston, UMASS Dartmouth, the New Bedford Public Library and the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center.

These events are part of Salted, Pickled, or Smoked: Preserving & Presenting the Cultural Heritage of the New Bedford/Fairhaven Fishing Community, a year-long effort to digitize the cultural heritage of New Bedford’s fishing community. The project is a collaboration involving the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center, University Archives and Special Collections at the University of Massachusetts Boston, Clair T. Carney Library at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, MIT Sea Grant, the New Bedford Public Library, and New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park. Funding for this project is provided through a Common Heritage Grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Federal grant to fund New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center film

May 2, 2016 — NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — A $20,000 Maritime Heritage Grant is going to be used to produce the orientation film for the fledgling New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center, according to Executive Director Laura Orleans.

She told The Standard-Times it was the full amount the center sought from the the Maritime Heritage Program, which is part of the National Park Service’s Park History Program. “We got the full amount I was flabbergasted,” Orleans said.

Tentatively titled,“Resilience: The Story of New Bedford’s Fishing Industry,” the film will be produced by local filmmaker Kevin Kertscher, whose Big Ocean media is located on lower William Street near the Whaling Museum.

The plan is to have the film ready to roll in June 2017.

The heritage center is already using a $12,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. It is paying to digitize all the materials being brought in by private parties to build a digital library for the center, which is opening June 25 at 39 Bethel St.

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard-Times