America's Top Fishing Port Addresses Groundfish Crisis
The Port of New Bedford says it has released its 6-pronged plan to revive its historic groundfishery and modernize the port. According to the New Bedford Harbor Development Commission’s (HDC) "Groundfish Port Recovery and Revitalization Plan for the Port of New Bedford and Fairhaven," the region’s groundfish fishery stands to improve if fisheries scientists and managers apply similar video survey technology as that which helped revive the region’s now-successful scallop fishery. Along with soliciting grant funds to develop video surveys for groundfish, as the nation’s number one fishing port, the city has released its recommendations for modifications to the Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA), the Federal law governing all domestic fisheries management.
Port of New Bedford Awaits Security Equipment
With nearly $2m in federal port security funding awarded to New Bedford, Mass., Port officials are expected to purchase a range of security equipment . The Port of New Bedford won two grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Port Security Grant Program. The first grant of $918,256 was awarded in 2007, and the second one of $948,177 was awarded in spring 2008. Neither grant has been released to the city due to a post-award review process related to environmental and historical preservation compliance guidelines, according to FEMA officials and Kristin Decas, executive director of the New Bedford Harbor Development Commission (HDC).
