January 21, 2020 — The following was released by the New Bedford Fishing Community Celebration & Health Fair:

A non-profit organization dedicated to the health, safety and economic security of commercial fishermen is planning a free, day-long special event to celebrate, support and serve New Bedford-area fishing families.

Fishing Partnership Support Services will host a New Bedford Fishing Community Celebration & Health Fair on Saturday, Feb. 8, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., at Kilburn Mill, 127 W. Rodney French Blvd. 

Said J.J. Bartlett, president of Fishing Partnership Support Services, “We will be celebrating fishermen and all that they mean to the great city of New Bedford and to the entire Southcoast in terms of heritage, culture, community spirit and economic impact.   

“Commercial fishing is a multi-billion-dollar-a-year industry in Massachusetts, accounting overall for more than 90,000 jobs.  Nowhere is fishing larger than here: New Bedford is the top value port in the country.  We often hear people celebrate this economic prosperity as a statistic; we want to focus attention on the fishermen and families behind the statistics.”

The Feb. 8 event will have programs and activities on healthy living, pediatric nutrition, enrolling in health coverage plans, massage, mindfulness, the hands-on healing art of Reiki, vaccinations, substance abuse education, Narcan training, and more. 

For children, there will be costumed characters, a reading corner, games, dancing, a photo booth, coloring and other activities. 

The first 25 persons through the door will receive a $25 Visa gift card, with a one-per-family limit.  A free raffle will be conducted every 30 minutes from 11:00 o’clock on. 

The buffet lunch will feature foods from multiple, various cultures, reflecting the diversity of the New Bedford community.  Coffee, tea, water and soft drinks will be available all day.

Twelve local non-profits that collaborate with Fishing Partnership Support Services will have representatives on hand to present information and answer questions on their objectives and services. See list of participating organizations at end.

Also providing support for the event is the Massachusetts Fishermen’s Partnership, an organization of commercial fishermen’s associations from all gear and geographic sectors of the Massachusetts fishing industry.

The New Bedford Fishing Community Celebration & Health Fair, Bartlett emphasized, is “for fishermen and their families – the partners, children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews of fishermen.”

He said, “We’re providing a reason for fishing families to come together on a Saturday in winter and have fun, share stories and experiences, and partake of some delicious food in a relaxed setting. Togetherness, we believe, can be a powerful antidote to the stresses and strains that every fishing family is subjected to.”

Workplace injury and mortality studies consistently show that commercial fishing is among the most dangerous occupations in the U.S. and the world.  The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, for example, recently reported that, in 2018, fishermen suffered on-the-job fatal injuries at a rate exceeded only by loggers.

The history of New Bedford well illustrates this tragic reality.  Hundreds of New Bedford fishermen have perished at sea through the years, with the latest fatalities occurring on Nov. 24 when three men died in the sinking of the “Leonardo” off Martha’s Vineyard. 

“As independent workers and small business owners, fishermen don’t have a human resources department,” Bartlett said, “which is why Fishing Partnership Support Services has developed into the fishing community’s human resources provider.  We help fishermen take care of things like health care coverage, safety training, immunizations and financial planning so that they can get back to doing what they do best, fishing.”

Fishing Partnership Support Services moved its longtime local office in 2019 to the historic heart of New Bedford.  “We’re now on Bethel Street in the same building as the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center and just down the street from the Seaman’s Bethel,” Bartlett noted. “Everyone should feel free to drop by and talk with one of our community health navigators anytime they’re in that area.”

More information on the New Bedford Fishing Community Celebration & Health Fair and Fishing Partnership Support Services may be found at: fishingpartnership.org