Monday, September 28, 2026 · 12:00 AM
Adult Collections Room — 300 Main St., Falmouth, MA
New Bedford as Fish Come Ashore-an exhibit by David Rider New Bedford serves as America's largest fishing port. This exhibit documents the offloading of fish, lobster, and scallops, night and day. "The Port of New Bedford has reigned as America’s largest fishing port since 2001. More than 6800 people work in the port to generate more than $11 billion. Fishing boats land 122 million pounds of product to leverage $322 million in sales. For all this human and economic activity, the fish and scallops come ashore one bucketful at a time. A fisherman’s life holds stressors and uncertainties as one of the world’s most dangerous jobs. Long hours, unpredictable weather, mechanical breakdown, volatile market prices, drug-abuse risk, and the constant chance of injury (or worse) make it anything but a 9-5 job. Portuguese fishermen and processors make up a significant percentage of the industry’s workforce, proud successors to 19th-century ancestors who built New Bedford’s whaling industry. The next time you enjoy grilled fish, raise a glass to honor the crews who caught, cleaned, hoisted, sorted, weighed, iced, and transported the fish on its way to your plate."