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Commercial Fisheries News
Volume 33 Number 3
November 2005
Fleet blessing ceremonies in New Bedford
NEW BEDFORD, MA – A somber remembrance of the extraordinary losses to at-sea accidents suffered by the local fleet over the past year, coupled with a strong acknowledgment of renewed and widely supported efforts to improve safety awareness and preparedness, were the central themes of the 36th Annual Blessing of the Fleet celebration here on Sept. 25.
Ann Brengle, director of the New Bedford Whaling Museum, served as mistress of ceremonies for the event. Held on Leonard’s Wharf – adjacent to and in conjunction with the Working Waterfront Festival (WWF) – the blessing is a well-attended, time-honored tradition in this port.
Several speakers spoke to the mix of pride and sorrow being felt along the city’s waterfront over the past year.
Industry continues to revitalize, earning New Bedford top US fishing port honors yet again, and evidence of a fleet rebuilding program is readily apparent along the docks.
At the same time, the waterfront has been stunned by several tragic losses, a reminder several speakers said, of the inherent dangers of the business of fishing.
New Bedford Mayor Frederick Kalisz Jr. was joined by other speakers in also recognizing new and ongoing initiatives in New Bedford aimed at improving fleet safety through high visibility training and awareness programs. That message was seen and heard throughout this year’s WWF activities, in concert with the festival’s theme of “safety at sea and on shore.”
A highlight of this year’s blessing was the presentation of the Offshore Mariners Wives’ Association (OMWA) Friend of the Fishermen Award. The OMWA, which sponsors and organizes the annual blessing activities, selected Mayor Kalisz for this prestigious honor.
A small but energetic boat parade capped the event. Local clergy blessed those participating vessels then continued to pass up and down the numerous wharves blessing all boats in the harbor. /cfn/
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