Saving Seafood

MASSACHUSETTS: New Bedford officially opens North End port terminal

October 10, 2024 — New Bedford has officially welcomed a new, $42 million multi-purpose port terminal to its working waterfront.

The 10-acre North Terminal on the lower Acushnet River includes a 961-foot bulkhead, a warehouse, and a large flat space with direct rail access. The project was designed to support a variety of maritime tenants, including offshore wind companies and commercial fishers.

Dignitaries gathered Tuesday for a ribbon-cutting. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey delivered remarks, as did U.S. Rep. Bill Keating and Mayor Jon Mitchell. New Bedford Port Authority director Gordon Carr; EPA Region 1 director David Cash; Tom Morkan, regional director of MARAD, the federal marine administration; and a host of state and local officials were on hand.

Read the full article at Providence Business First

MASSACHUSETTS: Port of New Bedford Celebrates Completion of North Terminal Expansion $42.7 million project increases the Port’s economic competitiveness

October 8, 2024 — The following was released by the New Bedford Port Authority:

Senators Elizabeth Warren, Edward Markey, and Representative William Keating joined Mayor Jon Mitchell and other officials Tuesday to celebrate the successful completion of the North Terminal expansion project, a new maritime facility that will strengthen the Port’s competitiveness in fishing, offshore wind, and other industries.

The expansion of North Terminal is the latest piece of the modernization of the Port of New Bedford. Over the past 10 years, the Port has seen the largest set of infrastructure upgrades in generations which, upon completion, will top $1 billion.

The completed terminal has 965 linear feet of bulkhead, provides 10.5 acres of terminal space, and utilizes a 56,000-square-foot warehouse with direct rail and road access. With upgraded bulkheads, new berthing facilities, enhanced dredging, and expanded laydown space, North Terminal is designed to streamline logistics for businesses and facilitate future Port expansions.

“The Port of New Bedford is the primary driver of economic activity in Southeastern Massachusetts. The North Terminal expansion project was a critical step to advancing the Port’s ability to meet the emerging demands of New Bedford’s offshore wind and maritime technology industries. I want to thank Senators Markey and Warren, Rep. Keating and the rest of the federal delegation, Gov. Healey and our state delegation, and everyone at the New Bedford Port Authority and on the local level for helping us overcome various legal, financial, and engineering challenges to get this project to the finish line,” said Mayor Jon Mitchell.

Funding for the $42.7 million project came from a mix of local, state, and federal sources, including:

  • FY18 DOT BUILD grant $        15.6 million
  • FY19 MassWorks Dredging grant $        11.4 million
  • Massachusetts SEC $          1.0 million
  • MassCEC $         11.8 million
  • City of New Bedford (ARPA) $            2.3 million
  • New Bedford Port Authority $          0.6 million
  • Total Infrastructure Investments $        42.7 million

The North Terminal extension improves efficiency, helps reduce costs of commercial enterprises based in the Port, and will create new opportunities for enhanced commercial fishing, marine construction, and offshore wind operations. The improvements will also extend the useful life of existing Port resources and are a crucial component of the Port’s long-term strategy to adapt to growing demands, especially with the emerging offshore wind industry and the increasing needs of commercial fisheries.

“Massachusetts has a great team, and our federal, state, and local leadership delivers results,” said Senator Warren. “I fought for over $15 million to help the Port of New Bedford gain a competitive edge, and I’ll keep pushing to bring home even more investments to improve infrastructure across the Commonwealth.”

“The Port of New Bedford is a triple threat: the number one fishing port by value in the nation, an innovator on offshore wind development, and a regional leader in maritime technology industries,” said Senator Edward J. Markey. “This expanded infrastructure will be a game changer for New Bedford and beyond. As we cut the ribbon on this project funded by federal, state, and city investments, which I was proud to help fight for in Congress, I look forward to working with the City as we continue to put new dollars into this waterfront economic engine, for New Bedford and beyond.”

“The Port of New Bedford is an economic driver for our entire region, and the completion of the North Terminal Expansion will ensure that the port continues to lead on fishing and offshore wind for decades to come,” said Congressman Bill Keating. “This project is the successful result of many different federal, state, and local partners working together to make sure the Port of New Bedford can grow, evolve, and remain competitive which will continue to drive our economy and put food on tables across the South Coast.”

This milestone marks a pivotal step in reinforcing New Bedford’s position as the nation’s leading seaport for commercial fishing, offshore wind development, and maritime industries. This project has further cemented the Port of New Bedford as a vital hub for New England’s economy.

“The significant state investments in this project coupled with strong support from our federal partners will help spur major job creation in New Bedford to serve the needs of our commercial fishing industry as well as the newly emerging offshore wind activity in an increasingly busy port,” said Senator Mark Montigny, who has led the legislative efforts to steer substantial state investments across New Bedford’s working waterfront.  “The expanded North Terminal will keep New Bedford at the forefront of maritime activity now and into the future.”

“This project came to fruition because of the continuing commitment our federal, state, and local leaders make to position the Port of New Bedford for the future. The North Terminal project exemplifies our obligation to provide first-rate infrastructure that supports the thriving maritime industries of New Bedford. This development will allow us to meet the needs of our fishing fleet, welcome new offshore wind ventures, and foster regional economic growth,” said Gordon Carr, executive director of the New Bedford Port Authority.

The North Terminal expansion is part of a decade-long reimagining of the Port under Mayor Mitchell’s Administration with more than $1 billion in infrastructure investments to support the offshore wind, commercial fishing, and marine technology industries. With projects totaling more than $150 million currently in development and construction, the Port of New Bedford continues to improve operations, attract new businesses, and promote economic prosperity throughout Greater New Bedford.

 

 

MASSACHUSETTS: GE sends two turbine blades from New Bedford to France

October 8, 2024 — For more than a year, big, blue heavy lift vessels have carried gargantuan GE Vernova wind turbine components into the Port of New Bedford, where, soon after, a barge carries them out as a set: three blades, two tower pieces, and one nacelle.

But on Friday, one of the delivery vessels, the Rolldock Sun, was seen carrying at least two blades out of New Bedford. It was not headed for the Vineyard Wind site, according to vessel tracking websites, but to France: specifically, the Port of Cherbourg, where GE Vernova has a blade manufacturing facility.

The Rolldock Sun had come into port from Cherbourg a few days earlier with four blades visible on deck. Blades for the project have been shipped from factories in Canada and France, but it is unclear how many have come from each.

Friday’s transit raises the question of why the wind project — which spends considerable time and money shipping major components from Canada and France into the U.S. — would ship blades overseas from New Bedford.

Read the full article at The New Bedford Light

MASSACHUSETTS: Immigrant Voices Exhibit Coming to New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center

October 7, 2024 — The New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center has a new look and a host of events coming up in October and November, including interesting films, live music and a new exhibit entitled “Casting a Wider Net.”

We talked this week with Joe Ritter, the FHC’s Director of Programs, about the upcoming schedule and the new look of its Bethel Street headquarters.

“A lot of hard work went into the design and creation of our new exterior look,” Ritter said. “Our recently-hired Marketing Specialist Matt Moyer Bell, a local artist, designed the project with help from Reidar’s Trawl Gear and Marine Supply. He also worked with local photographers to curate their photos of New Bedford’s Working Waterfront. ‘Catch the Tradition’ is a permanent art installation for us.”

Read the full article at WBSM

MASSACHUSETTS: State picks New Bedford waterfront site for ocean energy center

September 24, 2024 — The state’s alternative-energy development agency has chosen a waterfront spot for a center devoted to ocean-related power research, building and field-testing equipment, and cultivating new enterprises.

The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center wants to lease less than half an acre from the New Bedford Port Authority on MacArthur Boulevard encompassing the 19th-century Bourne Counting House and a parking area next to it.

The stone structure would provide office and meeting space. A portion of the parking lot is slated for a new structure for building prototypes for ocean-related energy technology — chiefly, but not exclusively, wind power.

“This project is an exciting new opportunity for New Bedford to develop technology businesses, generate new demand for existing businesses, and elevate its stature as a leader in maritime industries,” Mayor Jon Mitchell wrote in a letter to the City Council, sending along a proposed 15-year lease for consideration this week.

Mitchell wrote that the center — to be established next to Merrill’s restaurant, across MacArthur Boulevard from the Fairfield Inn & Suites — “will establish a platform on which marine technology of all types can be developed and commercialized into new businesses.” He said it will also serve as a meeting point for industry conferences.

Read the full article at the The New Bedford Light

MASSACHUSETTS: A landmark celebration of fishing heritage and community

September 3, 2024 — The New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center has installed a striking new landmark in the heart of the City’s Seaport Historic District. Catch the Tradition captures the spirit and enduring legacy of New Bedford, the nation’s most valuable fishing port, and invites visitors to explore the story of commercial fishing, one of the world’s oldest industries, through the Fishing Heritage Center. The public is invited to attend an official unveiling and dedication of the installation on Thursday, September 12 (AHA Night) at 6:00 PM.

Catch the Tradition features an authentic fishing net draped across the entire facade of a historic building at 38 Bethel Street and seven massive documentary images ranging in size, with the largest being 17 feet tall. The images, captured by four emerging and established local photographers (Shareen Davis, Phil Mello, Leia Onofrey, and Peter Pereira), provide a window into the lives of those who work to bring seafood from boat to table.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

Fishermen stage floating protest at Vineyard Wind site

August 27, 2024 — As concerns mount over the July collapse of one Vineyard Wind turbine blade, a “flotilla” of about two dozen commercial and recreational fishing vessels steamed to the wind farm on Sunday to protest offshore wind development and its impact on the marine ecosystem.

The vessels, hoisting anti-offshore wind flags and blasting air horns, departed early Sunday morning from ports in New Bedford, Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard, Rhode Island and along the Cape, converging at about noon on the site of the crippled Vineyard Wind turbine.

“The blade collapse was an eye-opener to a lot of people who before didn’t know that offshore wind is a disaster for the ocean,” said Shawn Machie, 54, who is captain of the New Bedford scalloper F/V Capt. John.

On July 13, one of the three blades on turbine AW38 sustained damage while undergoing testing. Five days later, a 300-foot section of the blade collapsed into the water leaving fiberglass debris floating in fishing grounds and scattered across beaches, mostly on Nantucket. It marked an inflection point as the first industrial energy incident in this era of offshore wind development in waters off the Northeast coast.

Read the full story at The New Bedford Light

Feds allow Vineyard Wind to resume partial installation

August 14, 2024 –A fully loaded feeder barge with turbine components, which for weeks has been sitting in New Bedford, left port and headed out to the Vineyard Wind site Tuesday morning. There, a vessel will offload the nacelle and tower components, but the blades will stay on and return to port.

The federal government this week updated its suspension order, allowing the project-on-pause to resume partial installation of new turbines as the parties continue to analyze the blade failure, which happened one month ago.

The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE)’s latest suspension order continues to prohibit further blade installation or power production at this time.

In response to a request for comment, a BSEE spokesperson said the agency issued the latest suspension order on August 10. The order requires “risk analysis and mitigation approved by BSEE prior to being able to conduct any activities on the damaged turbine.”

Read the full article at The New Bedford Light

Scallopers assail continued closure of Northern Edge

July 29, 2024 — Fisheries regulators voted this month to “discontinue” development of a plan to reopen the Northern Edge of Georges Bank — a lucrative scallop ground that has long been closed to commercial fishing.

In April, the New England Fishery Management Council agreed to consider requests to reopen the fishing grounds at the urging of both the scallop industry and Mayor Jon Mitchell. He and industry representatives cited significant headwinds for the region’s top fishery, including a slump in prices and fewer days at sea for fishermen. They added that opening the Northern Edge would benefit the whole port economy and surrounding businesses.

But in the midst of a four-day meeting in Freeport, Maine, the Council voted not to continue discussing plans to reopen the area in order to focus on the “long-term productivity of the Georges Bank scallop resource.” For regulators, it’s a balancing act to weigh sustainability and the economic pressures on fishermen to sustain their livelihoods.

“We know there is a high density of scallops there. But you need those dense aggregations to have spawning success in the future,” said Jonathon Peros, who is the Council’s lead fishery analyst for sea scallops. He explained that scallops spawning in the region act as a seed source to other active scalloping grounds.

Read the full article at the New Bedford Light