Silence of the Whales

Once the world’s primary port of the whale oil trade, and later a textiles and machinery producer, the city of New Bedford has gone the way of much of the the United States–from industrial producer to grant-dependent shadow of the past. The death blow was the mall-ification more than 25 years ago of the next-door farm community, which attracted strip malls and big-box stores with its flat tax rate and sucked the retail life out of New Bedford. (Now that town, Dartmouth, is facing serious financial difficulties.)

Currently, New Bedford is courting casino interests on its waterfront. I can’t begrudge a city, whose leaders see few constructive prospects, inviting what’s literally an industry of last resort. The pursuit of unearned riches is replacing this city’s legacy: the pursuit of hard-won riches.

Remarkably, New Bedford is still a national standout: It is this country’s most profitable fishing port, thanks to the high value of scallops. It is generally thought that this status cannot continue with current fishing practices.

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