NEW BEDFORD, MA / ACCESSWIRE / June 8, 2022 / For the 21st year in a row, the Port of New Bedford ranks as the highest economic value fishing port in the United States. The designation comes from NOAA's recent release of its annual Fisheries of the United States report for 2020, which detailed fishing activity across the country as the seafood industry - together with the whole country - faced the challenges posed by the global COVID-19 pandemic.
New Bedford took the top spot with $451 million worth of seafood coming into the port. Atlantic sea scallops made up 84% of the port's value, and 26% of the volume, with 115 million pounds landed, worth $376 million in landings. Sea scallops remain one of the top five most valuable species in the country, with total landings across the U.S. worth $572 million.
Other fisheries contributing to New Bedford's continued success include Atlantic surf clams, ocean quahogs, red crab, (offshore) lobster, and numerous species of fin fish.
"New Bedford is proud to be America's preeminent fishing port," said Jon Mitchell, the mayor of New Bedford. "We are committed to making necessary infrastructure investments and staying on top of regulatory developments so that the port can continue to be successful for years to come."
Port of New Bedford. Credit: Spectrum Marketing Group
The city is currently planning several infrastructure projects designed to further the success of the fishing industry in New Bedford. These include the planned extension of Leonard's Wharf , a structure dating back to the city's whaling era, which, through grant money, will be extended, reinforced, and electrified. The reconstructed wharf will serve both our fishing and growing offshore wind industries.
The Port was able to maintain its position in the rankings despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, which affected fisheries and fishing communities nationwide. Across the nation, total landings and value decreased from 2019 levels; fishermen landed 8.4 billion pounds of seafood worth $4.7 billion in 2020, down from 9.3 billion pounds worth $5.5 billion the previous year.
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SOURCE: Port of New Bedford
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