Tag Archives: Rodney Avila
Their View! Building trust with fishermen is key for wind energy companies
There’s a lot of buzz in New Bedford these days about the offshore wind industry- and for good reason. Blowing in with the massive turbines will be the promise of good-paying jobs; new activity along with the waterfront; and even the prospect that SouthCoast could become a training center for those interested in offshore wind careers.,, Amid the hubbub, however, we can’t lose track of the industry that has made New Bedford the most lucrative seafood port in the nation for 17 years in a row, The city’s hard-working fishermen-beset by changing regulations, dwindling catches, competition from foreign fleets and the ever-present hardship of storm-tossed seas-must be given serious consideration in any changes,,,>click to read<10:40 
Deepwater Wind Hires New Fisheries Liaison, Continues Search for Long Island Fishery Representative
Deepwater Wind’s new Fisheries LIaison, retired commercial fisherman Rodney Avila of New Bedford, Mass., will be on the East End all week meeting with potential independent fisheries representative candidates for the South Fork Wind Farm off of Montauk, while the East Hampton Town Trustees have issued a detailed set of requests for Community Benefit Projects they’d like to see Deepwater Wind fund on behalf of fisheries here. Deepwater Wind, the developers of the first U.S. offshore wind farm off Block Island, is planning to build,,, >click to read< 21:27
Carlos Rafael’s guilty plea in federal court draws mixed reactions
There was a mixture of emotions and reactions among members of the local fishing industry over the guilty plea Carlos that “The Codfather” Rafael entered in Federal Court Thursday. Some expressed a certain amount of sympathy for Rafael in the highly regulated business. Some didn’t. This doesn’t come as a surprise,” said Mayor Jon Mitchell. Ever since Carlos’ arrest became public it was clear the government had him dead to rights.” “The more important question is what will happen to the permits. That determination has been left up to NOAA. Jim Kendall, president of New Bedford Seafood Consulting, had the same concern about the permits. He noted that other boat owners have been stripped of their permits. “But I am not sure that it means anything for us,” he said. Read the story here 18:18
Veteran New Bedford fisherman Rodney Avila leads off speaking series at Fishing Heritage Center
With a lifelong career in commercial fishing and fishing safety, Rodney Avila is a man everyone on the waterfront knows. On Wednesday night, he drew on his considerable expertise in a genial and well-informed talk at the Fishing Heritage Center about life in the fishing industry. His was the first in what will be a series of talks on all aspects of commercial fishing at the fledgling center. He brought out about 20 people, some elderly, some in their 50s and 60s and almost all of them associated with the industry, to hear him explain just how a fishing boat worked. Avila, who began fishing at 9 years old, was so determined to go on a fishing trip to Georges Bank that he said he pestered his parents into giving him permission. At 13 he went to Georges Bank as a birthday present, setting him on a course that would last for 47 years. “They did it just to have peace in the house,” he said. Avila was asked to tell the step-by-step process that gets a boat to sea and gets it back again without trouble, which wasn’t always the case. Video, read the rest here 19:43
Our Earth Day Hero: Rodney Avila
As fishing season picks up on New Bedford’s waterfront, retired North End resident Rodney Avila is leading a renewed effort to clean up harbor water that’s the lifeblood for local fishing-related industries. Avila, formerly a commercial fisherman for more than 40 years, said 142 fishing boats have signed up for the city’s Clean Bilge Program. The state-funded initiative began in October and is an effort to change a longstanding plague of “mystery oil spills” in New Bedford-Fairhaven Harbor, by offering fishermen clean pump-outs of their bilges. Read the rest here 15:59
