Celebrating a New Bedford Family’s Impact on Commercial Fishing

A new exhibit highlighting a prominent New Bedford fishing family, and a film on the 1985-86 fishermen's strike in the Port of New Bedford, are part of the upcoming events at the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center in February and March.

Programs Director Joe Ritter visited Townsquare Sunday this week to talk about the film and the contributions of the Tichon family to the fishing industry.

"Tichon has been a big name in fish processing for 80 years now. Herve Tichon first opened a small market in Fairhaven in the 1920s, then became a co-owner of several fishing boats," Ritter said. "In the 1940s, Tichon expanded to the New Bedford side, and opened up what became Tichon Seafood Corp. on Homer's Wharf, and in the 1970s, they opened their current processing plant on the South Terminal bulkhead."

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Tichon offers a variety of services, including fish processing, boat unloading, cold storage, co-packing, and ice service. It also operates two scallop vessels, the Patriots and the Raiders.

The Tichon family exhibit will open on Thursday, February 12 at the Fishing Heritage Center, located at 38 Bethel Street in New Bedford.

Documentary Revisits the 1985-86 Fishermen’s Strike

Also on tap in February is the showing of the film I Hope Those People Sink, a documentary about the 1985-86 fisherman's strike in New Bedford. The film was produced by Ian Coss of WGBH, with many of the photos and videos coming from the FHC's archival collection.

"That strike had profound impacts on the waterfront that exist even today," Ritter said. "2026 is the 40th anniversary of the strike, but the showing of the film is not a celebration, but rather a commemoration. A look back at the events, what caused it, how the strike played out and what were the repercussions of that."

Panel to Share Firsthand Strike Experiences

Ritter said that after the showing, the filmmaker will be joined by a panel of folks who lived through the strike and will talk about the experience.

I Hope Those People Sink will be shown at 7 p.m. on Feb. 20 in the National Park Visitors Center, located at 33 William Street, New Bedford. Admission is free, but the FHC is asking that people register in advance online.

Lobster Days Returns During School Vacation

A reminder: Lobster Days returns to the Fishing Heritage Center on Feb. 19 and 20, during school vacation week. Meet local lobstermen, enjoy kid-friendly art projects, science demos, storytelling, face painting, and more. The program runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. both days, and admission is free. 

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