Tourism is New Hampshire’s second largest industry encompassing growth in hotels, resorts, restaurants, entertainment and many other things. Seacoast community development has also been of importance to many locals residing in small towns. Settled in 1623, Portsmouth lays claim to being the third oldest city in the United States and is steeped in history dating to well before the American Revolution of 1776. Cities such as Portsmouth are vital to the New Hampshire local economy which have supported an active commercial fishing industry for the past 400 years.
The N.H commercial fishing industry is facing numerous challenges, including low-cost seafood imports brought on through globalization, rising costs of doing business, numerous and constantly changing regulations and the perception by a portion of the population that commercial fishing in not an environmentally sustainable industry. Total economic activity generated from the N.H commercial fishing industry is estimated to be $106 million supporting an overall 5,000 full-and part-time jobs.