Sep 9, 2015

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. (AP) — For three centuries, fishing has been a way of life in New Bedford — and it’s still going strong.

In its heyday in the mid-1800s, the city was the undisputed hub of the global whaling industry. Scholars say more ships sailed out of New Bedford alone than every other American port combined.

Grand homes overlooking the harbor still stand as testimony to the fortunes amassed by the sea captains of yesteryear. Their rooftop widow’s walks underscore the dangers faced in earning that wealth.

Commercial fishing isn’t nearly as lucrative now as it was then, and whales certainly are no longer part of the equation. But it’s still a viable industry, and New Bedford’s piers are alive with the sights, sounds and smells of the trade.

When they’re not hauling in squid, red crabs, herring and halibut, fishermen tinker with the sputtering engines on their trawlers and mend their huge nets — just as their forerunners did.

: Rui Vinagre unloads yellowtail caught by the Sea Siren at the fish auction house in New Bedford, Mass. The commercial fishing industry still thrives here, though not quite as lucrative as during the mid-1800s when the city was the undisputed hub of the global whaling industry. (Peter Pereira/The Standard-Times via AP)

: Crews install the first sheet pile walls as work begins on constructing the New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal in the south end of New Bedford, Mass., as a crane dredges the harbor, background. Costly dredging to remove silt is needed regularly to keep deep-water ports active. In a city known for it’s commercial fishing industry, the new terminal would be the first facility in the nation for constructing and deploying offshore wind power projects when completed. (Peter Pereira/The Standard-Times via AP)

: From left, Arturo Xiax, Leonardo Olmos, and Lucas Cipriano, load bins with red crab in the hold of the fishing vessel Krystle James in New Bedford, Mass. Found along the continental shelf, the red crabs are harvested in wire pots at depths greater than 2,000 feet. (Peter Pereira/The Standard-Times via AP)

: Welder Joe Pinto cuts the rusted supporting A-frame from the structure of the fishing vessel Titan docked in New Bedford, Mass. In its heyday in the mid-1800s, the city was the undisputed hub of the global whaling industry. Whales are no longer part of the equation, and commercial fishing isn’t as lucrative as it was then. But it remains a viable industry and vital to New Bedford and the surrounding region. (Peter Pereira/The Standard-Times via AP)

: Karl Hotys repairs a groundfishing net at Reidar’s Manufacturing in Fairhaven, Mass. Groundfish such as cod, flounder, halibut, and sole live on or near the bottom of the ocean. (Peter Pereira/The Standard-Times via AP)

: Crews install the first sheet pile walls as work begins on constructing the New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal in the south end of New Bedford, Mass., as a crane dredges the harbor, background. Costly dredging to remove silt is needed regularly to keep deep-water ports active. In a city known for it’s commercial fishing industry, the new terminal would be the first facility in the nation for constructing and deploying offshore wind power projects when completed. (Peter Pereira/The Standard-Times via AP)

: Matt Kelley, crew member of the fishing vessel Titan, helps unload a catch of halibut in New Bedford, Mass. Groundfish such as cod, flounder, halibut, and sole live on or near the bottom of the ocean. (Peter Pereira/The Standard-Times via AP)

: Fishermen repair the nets aboard the fishing vessel Humbak docked at State Pier in New Bedford, Mass. In the mid-1800s, the city was the undisputed hub of the global whaling industry, when it existed. The commercial fishing industry remains viable, but not as lucrative as in earlier times. (Peter Pereira/The Standard-Times via AP)

: Timmy Power configures his squid net at a dock in Fairhaven, Mass. Originally harvested for bait, squid from the North Atlantic are now harvested for eating. (Peter Pereira/The Standard-Times via AP)

: John Gatcombe, a deckhand aboard the fishing vessel Voyager, gathers a huge herring net, as he loads it onto the back of a truck in New Bedford, Mass. In the mid-1800s, the city was the undisputed hub of the global whaling industry, when it existed. The commercial fishing industry remains viable, but not as lucrative as in earlier times. (Peter Pereira/The Standard-Times via AP)

: Dredging takes place in the inner harbor in front of the State Pier in New Bedford, Mass., as a fishing boat heads to sea. Costly dredging to remove silt is needed regularly to keep deep-water ports active. (Peter Pereira/The Standard-Times via AP)

: A crew member of the fishing boat Sereno stands on the bow while looking for a docking berth as it arrives into a frozen New Bedford, Mass. harbor. The commercial fishing industry is a year-round business that continues through brutally cold New England winters. (Peter Pereira/The Standard-Times via AP)

: Crew members of the fishing vessel Titan unload their catch of halibut in New Bedford, Mass. Groundfish such as cod, flounder, halibut, and sole live on or near the bottom of the ocean. (Peter Pereira/The Standard-Times via AP)

: Crew members of the fishing vessel Titan unload their catch of halibut in New Bedford, Mass. Groundfish such as cod, flounder, halibut, and sole live on or near the bottom of the ocean. (Peter Pereira/The Standard-Times via AP)

: Paul Akusis, a crew member aboard the fishing vessel Titan, helps unload a huge halibut below deck in New Bedford, Mass. Groundfish such as cod, flounder, halibut, and sole live on or near the bottom of the ocean. (Peter Pereira/The Standard-Times via AP)

Fishing in New Bedford: 3 centuries and still going strong

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