Saving Seafood

MASSACHUSETTS: New Bedford’s fishing faces take their place in Library of Congress

July 3, 2019 — The American Folklife Center (AFC) is excited to be featuring “Working on the Waterfront,” a documentary display of photographs created by the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center in New Bedford.

The display, which is located in Room LJ-G53 on the ground floor of the Library of Congress’s Thomas Jefferson Building in Washington, D.C., is open to the public through October.

In 2016, the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center received a prestigious Archie Green Fellowship from the American Folklife Center to document workers on the New Bedford waterfront for AFC’s Occupational Folklife Project (OFP).

The OFP is an ongoing research initiative to record the lives, careers, and experiences of contemporary workers in a wide range of trades and occupations throughout the United States.

Under the direction of NBFHC Executive Director Laura Orleans, funds from the competitive fellowship were used to hire researchers to record oral histories and photograph almost 60 workers involved in diverse fishing-related trades and occupations on the New Bedford waterfront.

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard-Times

MASSACHUSETTS: Seafood Soiree to Benefit Fishing Heritage Center

June 26, 2019 — The following was released by the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center:

Enticing seafood appetizers from some of the area’s finest chefs are on the menu for a Seafood Soirée, the second annual gala fundraiser to benefit the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center.

Scheduled for the evening of July 18th at the Wamsutta Club at the James Arnold Mansion, a Seafood Soirée will feature the bounty of the sea with over a dozen dishes prepared by area chefs, as well as handmade desserts; live gypsy jazz by Hot Club Cheese Roll; and live and chance auctions.

“We invite the community to join us for this fun and delectable evening, a showcase of seafood from the nation’s most valuable fishing port,” said Executive Director Laura Orleans. “We are grateful to all our chefs, restaurants, seafood companies, and sponsors for their role in helping us promote the local seafood industry.”

Finest Kind lead sponsors for the Soirée include Farm Credit East, Fleet Fisheries and the Wamsutta Club at the James Arnold Mansion.

Highliner Sponsors include BayCoast Bank; Commercial Fisheries News; Edie and Marie Boat Settlements; Hancock Marine, Inc.; SouthCoast Media Group; and The Town Dock.

Skipper Sponsors include Moses Smith, Markey & Walsh and Seafuels Marine.

The cocktail hour from 5:30 to 6:30 pm will feature sushi from Turk’s Seafoodand mini lobster rolls by Oxford Creamery, both in Mattapoisett.

From 6:00 to 7:30 pm, signature seafood dishes will be offered by the following chefs (committed to date):

  • Clam Chowder donated by Blount Fine Foods;
  • Lobster sausage with chourico aioli prepared by Chef Chris Cronin of Union Flats opening soon on Union Street in New Bedford;
  • Korean barbeque Mackerel with charred bok choy and sweet chili glaze created by Chef Chris Cordeiro, Corporate Chef for Sid Wainer & Son;
  • Squid dish created by Chef Arthur Dill from Chartwells Dining Service at UMass Dartmouth;
  • Scallops with mustard and endive garnish, as well as scallop and codfish casserole created by Eastern Fisheries Executive Chef, George Karousos;
  • Smoked bluefish pate with pickled red onion and homemade crackers prepared by Chef Lisa Lofberg of Little Moss in Padanaram;
  • A Skate dish created by Chef Mike Melo of M&C Café;
  • New Bedford Seafood Paella featuring clams, scallops, mussels & chorizo by Chef Greg Morton of Morton’s Fork Catering;
  • Mini fish and chips prepared by Chef Jayme Reno of Merrill’s on the Waterfront in New Bedford;
  • For non-seafood eaters, Wamsutta Club Executive Chef Raymond Fonseca will offer assorted petite quiche, spanakopita, bruschetta, and chicken allouette.

Dessert from 7:30 to 8:30 pm will feature handcrafted chocolates by Life is Sweet and home baked cookies by Jo’s Breads & Muffins, along with coffee and tea.

Beginning at 7:30 pm, a live auction will feature items ranging from Red Sox HP State Street Pavillion Club seating tickets to a scallop dinner for four in the galley of a working fishing vessel. Throughout the evening, guests will enjoy gypsy jazz by Hot Club Cheese Roll, and try their luck at a Fluke and Flounder chance auction. A complimentary glass of champagne and a cash bar will round out the evening.

Tickets are $75 per person; proceeds will benefit the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center, the city’s newest museum. For tickets, visit the Center at 38 Bethel Street, call 508-993-8894, or email info@fishingheritagecenter.org. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit https://fishingheritagecenter.org/soiree/

MASSACHUSETTS: Voices in the Fog: Story of Portuguese cod fishermen

June 6, 2019 — The New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center, in partnership with the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park, presents Voices in the Fog: New Bedford Chapter (2016) as the Dock-U-Mentaries Film Series continues on June 21 at 7 p.m.

Voices in the Fog is based on interviews of former Portuguese cod fisherman, who share memories, stories, and anecdotes of life in the high seas. The “New Bedford Chapter” introduces subjects who immigrated to the United States to build their lives and continue their careers on American soil. The film is in Portuguese with English subtitles.

The film was directed by Pedro Marnoto, with cinematography by Hugo Marques, and Pedro Marnoto. Production was by PAPS (Portuguese American Post-Graduate Society), Arte Institute.

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard-Times

MASSACHUSETTS: ‘Lobster War’ hitting Whaling Museum theater

May 22, 2019 — The New Bedford Whaling Museum, in partnership with the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center, is screening a documentary with claws.

“Lobster War” is an award-winning feature-length documentary film about a conflict between the United States and Canada over waters that both countries have claimed since the end of the Revolutionary War.

The disputed 277 square miles of sea known as the Gray Zone were traditionally fished by U.S. lobstermen.

But as the Gulf of Maine has warmed faster than nearly any other body of water on the planet, the area’s previously modest lobster population has surged. As a result, Canadians have begun to assert their sovereignty, warring with the Americans to claim the bounty.

“Lobster War – The Fight Over the World’s Richest Fishing Grounds” is directed by David Abel, a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter at The Boston Globe, and Andy Laub, an award-winning documentarian, producers of the acclaimed Discovery channel documentary “Sacred Cod.”

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard-Times

MASSACHUSETTS: Exhibit captures the faces of area commercial fishermen

February 14, 2019 — The New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center has announced the opening of Commercial Fishermen of New England, a series of charcoal portraits by award winning artist Suzanne Starr.

An opening reception will take place on Thursday, Feb. 14 at 6:30 p.m. during AHA! Night. The exhibit will run through April 7.

Starr’s drawings depict commercial fishermen working local waters today.

“Whether chasing ground fish, squid, lobsters or scallops, most continue the work of their fathers and grandfathers,” a press release about the exhibit states. “As a series, these images offer a richer portrait of the fishing community than any individual portrait might.”

Suzanne’s husband, Markham Starr is a documentary photographer whose goal has been to preserve something of the working cultures of New England, now rapidly disappearing. On Friday, he will screen his film “Point Jude: Portraits of a Fishing Port” as part of the Dock-u-mentaries series, a co-production of New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park and the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center. The screening will take place at the National Park Theater (33 William Street).

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard-Times

MASSACHUSETTS: Digitizing New Bedford’s fishing memories

February 11, 2019 — Bob Demanche taps the nifty round mini light on the table in front of him and grabs a magnifier. He opens the box that is also on the table and takes out one of the hundreds of slides it contains and looks at each of them…one by one. There are three more similar boxes to go through.

Welcome to Scanning Day at the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center. Volunteers at the center set aside the second Saturday of each month to scan photos, documents, letters, slides and more from the general public that are relative to the city’s commercial fishing industry.

“We have a team of four volunteers who help on scanning days,” said Sarah Bowen, operations manager. It’s all pretty streamlined: one volunteer scans the items while another speaks with the person who brought them in, gathering information about the photo or document. The owner is then given a digitized version of the items, along with their originals.

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard-Times

MASSACHUSETTS: New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center receives $6K grant

December 20, 2018 — Mass Humanities awarded grants totaling $134,649 in support of humanities projects in communities across the state, including New Bedford.

The New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center received $6,960 to explore how changes in technology have affected the city’s fishing community over time. The grant will go toward archival research and ethnographic interviews with members of the fishing community, exhibits, discussions, and curricula for elementary and secondary school children.

“We were impressed by the range of relevant, dynamic projects in this round of applications,” said Brian Boyles, Mass Humanities executive director, in a statement. “Organizations around Massachusetts are responding to their communities through new approaches to the humanities. They’re asking big questions, reaching new audiences, and shedding new light on our shared history and culture.”

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard-Times

MASSACHUSETTS: Film series presenting ‘Life by Lobster’

November 15, 2018 — The Dock-U-Mentaries Film Series hosted by the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center continues on Friday, Nov. 16 at 7 p.m. with “Life by Lobster,” a 55-minute documentary that takes you inside the lives of five young lobster fishermen determined to pursue this proud traditional vocation against steadily mounting obstacles.

Contrasting the stark beauty of the Downeast Maine seacoast with the stark reality of earning a living there, “Life by Lobster,” a documentary by independent filmmaker Iain McCray Martin, takes audiences inside the lives of five young lobster fishermen determined to pursue this proud traditional vocation against steadily mounting obstacles, a press release from the center states.

Co-produced by LA television director J. Miller Tobin (“Gossip Girl,” “Num3ers,” “CSI”) and Maine-based Opera House Arts, LBL was selected as part of the Maine International Film Festival’s Best of 2009 collection and is partially funded by the Perfect Storm Foundation, among others.

“I began work on this film when I was 19, in the summer between my freshman and sophomore years at Emory University. During that first year away from the small island off the coast of Maine where I had grown up, I realized, like never before, the uniqueness of my home and the people who define it,” said Martin.

“Facing a myriad of economic and regulatory hurdles, not to mention trying to overcome youthful inexperience in a tough, competitive industry, these young men could be, I feared, a dying breed. Their story needed to be told.”

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard-Times

MASSACHUSETTS: Story of shoreside New Bedford business finally told locally and in Library of Congress

November 7, 2018 — No place on earth understands the fishing industry like New Bedford. So it’s no surprise the Library of Congress is using the voice of the city to share the history of fishing and its importance in the United States.

The New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center used a fellowship from the Library of Congress to relay specifically the stories of shoreside businesses through the voices and images of those in the industry.

The final product sits on display in the museum. It first opened on Oct. 11. Faces of the fishing industry hang on the walls. An iPad provides a genuine interactive experience where visitors can hear the voices of those whose pictures fill the exhibit. Users can select which individual they want to hear.

The exhibit ends Feb. 4 but will live forever in the Library of Congress as part of its permanent collection.

“They were really excited,” New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center Executive Director Laura Orleans said. “They were really pleased with what we sent to them. I think they’re very excited we already have an exhibit up.”

The exhibit on display consists of 58 interviews conducted over a year and completed last July. Phil Melo, a manager a Bergie’s Seafood, snapped photos for the portraits for the exhibit while also participating as one of the interviewees.

“It’s just not the fishermen. I know people drive through the city. They just see the boats and that’s all they think about,” Melo said. “They don’t realize how many tractor trailers come through the city with fuel for the fishing industry. The groceries that are delivered to the boats, the bookkeeping that’s done. The welding shops. There’s a ton.”

The exhibit features occupations across the waterfront from processors to electric engineers to welders to benefit providers.

In capturing the faces of the interviewees, Melo also tried to capture a portrait that provided a look not only at the industry but the personalities behind it.

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard-Times

MASSACHUSETTS: Dock-U-Mentaries Series Presents Life By Lobster

October 30, 2018 — The following was released by the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center:

The Dock-U-Mentaries Film Series continues on Friday, November 16th at 7:00 PM with Life by Lobster, a 55-minute documentary that takes you inside the lives of five young lobster fishermen determined to pursue this proud traditional vocation against steadily mounting obstacles.

Contrasting the stark beauty of the Downeast Maine seacoast with the stark reality of earning a living there, Life by Lobster, a documentary by independent filmmaker Iain McCray Martin takes you inside the lives of five young lobster fishermen determined to pursue this proud traditional vocation against steadily mounting obstacles.

Co-produced by LA television director J. Miller Tobin (Gossip Girl, Num3ers, CSI) and Maine-based Opera House Arts, LBL was selected as part of the Maine International Film Festival’s “Best of 2009” collection and is partially funded by the Perfect Storm Foundation, among others.

“I began work on this film when I was 19, in the summer between my freshman and sophomore years at Emory University.  During that first year away from the small island off the coast of Maine where I had grown up, I realized, like never before, the uniqueness of my home and the people who define it.

While I left our island to go off to college and pursue new found opportunities, many of my classmates in our close-knit, 26-member graduating class of 2005 opted to go directly to work on the water, taking on the life and lifestyle of commercial lobstermen.

Facing a myriad of economic and regulatory hurdles, not to mention trying to overcome youthful inexperience in a tough, competitive industry, these young men could be, I feared, a dying breed.  Their story needed to be told.

Initially armed with little more than a camcorder and a newly found commitment to a career in film, I began my attempt at making something that personified the characterizations, motivations, and lifestyle associated with pursuing lobstering as a vocation.

Three years later, after a continual progression in my own abilities as a filmmaker, stacks of grant requests, upgrades in equipment, incredible honesty and patience from my subjects, over 20 hours of raw footage, and endless support from friends, family, and mentors came the story I had hoped to tell – an authentic portrayal of lobster fishing as an industry, a community, and a way of life.”
– Iain McCray Martin 

Dock-U-Mentaries is a co-production of New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park and the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center.  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.