Doing Business
The PORT OF NEW BEDFORDOUR PORT SUPPORTS A UNIQUE BLEND OF INDUSTRIAL & COMMERCIAL ACTIVITIES
As one of the few remaining marine industrial working waterfronts on the East Coast, the Port is uniquely positioned to support both traditional maritime operations and the growing U.S. offshore wind industry. Its deep-water access, established industrial base, and strategic location on Buzzards Bay make New Bedford an ideal hub for doing business on the water.
Commercial Fishing
The Port of New Bedford is an integral part of a global seafood supply chain, handling millions of pounds of seafood on an annual basis. An average of 1 million pounds of seafood enters and exits the port by truck, rail, and boat every day. In addition to handling the majority of the seafood landed in the Atlantic, the Port also processes a growing amount of seafood landed in foreign waters, which is then shipped into processors located in the Port of New Bedford who then ship the final product back out to be sold globally. Learn More…
Aquaculture
There are currently 8,400 acres of open water available for commercial shellfishing within New Bedford’s jurisdiction. The New Bedford Port Authority, in partnership with the City of New Bedford is currently developing the regulations and processes to make it easy for commercial aquaculture to take root in the city. Learn More…
Offshore Wind
The Port of New Bedford has become a significant asset as the offshore wind industry has begun to grow in the United States. New Bedford and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts have been preparing for the offshore wind industry for the past several years. In 2015 the state completed the 2-year construction of the Marine Commerce Terminal, a 29-acre facility built specifically for the construction, assembly, and deployment of offshore wind turbines. Learn More..
Redevelopment
In 2015 the Port of New Bedford, in partnership with city planners and the New Bedford Economic Development Council, undertook long-term redevelopment planning. The initial plan, the Waterfront Framework looks at the entire harbor, and in 2018 we completed the Redevelopment Plan which focuses closely on two underutilized waterfront properties, the Revere Copper site in the upper harbor, and the Sprague/Eversource site located in the Central Waterfront. Learn More…
Other Harbor Uses
Yachts, tugs, barges, or other vessels not classified as active commercial fishing vessels will not be issued docking permits and cannot dock at piers under NBPA jurisdiction without the prior permission of the Harbormaster officials and the Executive Director. To support additional port services, the NBPA licenses exclusive and non-exclusive use of several berths on the Central Waterfront. Licenses and fees for this very limited berth space are individually negotiated. Currently, these docking spaces are licensed to Cuttyhunk Water Taxi (a passenger/cargo ferry service) and Whaling City Launch Service. Learn More…
Requests for Proposal
