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More than a Job: Work and Community in New Bedford’s Fishing Industry provides visitors with an introduction to the workings of the fishing industry as well as explore themes including labor history, immigration, sustainability, and the changing nature of work and community.
This exhibit features a replica working deck, scallop dredge, galley table, bunks, historic and contemporary images and footage, and more than sixty audio clips sharing the many voices of the fishing community.
Funding for More than a Job: Work and Community in New Bedford’s Fishing Industry is provided by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities and significant support from Bristol County Savings Bank. Major in-kind support for this exhibit was provided by Fairhaven Shipyard and Blue Fleet Welding. Support for an online companion exhibit and curriculum materials was provided by Mass Humanities and Bristol County Savings Charitable Foundation.
In fishing, hauling back is the process of retrieving fishing gear from the water after it is deployed. And just as fishermen haul back their nets to bring in the catch, so too do fishing families pull knowledge and skills from the past to share with future generations.
On view Through Spring 2026
Funding for More than a Job: Work and Community in New Bedford’s Fishing Industry is provided by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities and significant support from Bristol County Savings Bank. Major in-kind support for this exhibit was provided by Fairhaven Shipyard and Blue Fleet Welding. Support for an online companion exhibit and curriculum materials was provided by Mass Humanities and Bristol County Savings Charitable Foundation.
Click to watch the Keynote Speech by Brian Boyles, Executive Director of Mass Humanities, at the Fishing Heritage Center’s 5th Anniversary Celebration and Grand Opening of More than a Job.
