Waterfront Wednesday 12-20-23

As 2023 closes and we welcome in the New Year, we pause to reflect and express gratitude for you all. Not only has the maritime sector survived these last few years, but we are thriving!

You all should be proud of your endeavors and hard work. The maritime sector dealt with the ravages of COVID with the “all-hands-on-deck” approach typical of our industries. We salute the women and men working each and every day to harvest and process our seafood, build, repair, service the boats, drive the forklifts, mend the nets, captain and crew our vessels, steward our resources, employ and train new workers --  all working to ‘lift more boats’ and sustain and enhance our important maritime sector.

The Coalition, in our new space at 708 Coho Way in Squalicum Harbor, wishes you a warm and relaxing holiday season and a New Year filled with good health and wisdom.

Trident To Close Alaska Plants

Trident Seafoods announced on December 12th that it plans to sell a portion of its assets in Alaska and reduce its workforce by 10 percent in response to the ongoing glut in the fishing markets.

Joe Bundrant, Trident CEO, said Trident’s strategy “reflects the realities facing U.S. seafood producers in global markets.”

“Across many species, the combination of declining demand, excess supply, and foreign competition has driven prices down, squeezed margins, and displaced U.S. producers from markets that they developed over decades,” he said. "We are competing against producers in other countries that do not share our commitment to or investments in environmental sustainability, social responsibility, and product quality. Many of our foreign competitors operate with minimal regulatory costs and oversight, inexpensive infrastructure, and exploitive labor practices."

While the seafood sector has often experienced years where the resource is down, this current problem reflects unusual global market conditions. The market conditions are new and bring turbulent waters for everyone. 

Read more about this tough situation via the links below: 

Intrafish.com also recently published an article on the market situation, which can be found below: 

Port Commissioner Speaks on Terminal

(Bellingham Shipping Terminal. Photo courtesy Port of Bellingham )

Submitted by Michael Shephard, Bellingham Port Commissioner

Dear Community Member – I am writing because you have previously contacted me about activity at the Bellingham Shipping Terminal (BST). I want to update you on upcoming developments and my priorities going forward. My comments are my own and do not necessarily reflect Port of Bellingham policy or the views of the entire Commission. In a nutshell, I continue to strongly support a working waterfront in Bellingham (as do most people in our community), including the use of our Shipping Terminal for export/import of diverse cargo. I am concerned about impacts to neighbor’s quality of life and environmental pollution. I believe tenants need to comply with our high standard for environmental stewardship or we need to take other actions. We also have to continue working to reduce impacts on neighbors.

The Bellingham Shipping Terminal has been in operation for over 100 years as part of Bellingham’s working waterfront. The Port of Bellingham, like other regional Ports, operates a shipping terminal to facilitate economic development, create jobs, and generate revenue to reinvest in our community. When we generate revenue from facilities like the BST, we are less dependent on taxes for government operations. Shipping also moves commodities that we all use. Operations at the BST have changed over the years. Notably after Georgia Pacific closed in 2001 most shipping operations ceased, and those jobs left the community. Over the past 5 years the Port has refurbished the BST and marketed it for cargo. Use of the terminal for shipping cargo is consistent with land zoning, Port strategic planning, and redevelopment plans of the larger Waterfront District.

The BST is situated on industrial-zoned land within the Waterfront District next to neighborhoods and the future Salish Landings Park. Several mixed-use developments are currently underway in the Waterfront District including the Millworks affordable/workforce housing projects and Local Food Hub, waterfront condos, and a waste heat capture district energy system. Plans for the Boardmill Hotel, residences, and conference center are currently underway as well. Public amenities like Waypoint Park, the Pump Track, and The Portal Container Village are well-loved by the community and will be around for years of public enjoyment. No adopted plans by the Port have anticipated eliminating the BST commercial infrastructure. This facility represents substantial public investment and is a major economic development asset. I also believe it is essential that our community has a diverse job base, that includes well-paying pathways to employment for a range of skills, interests, and levels of education.

Use of the BST by ABC Recycling has resulted in many community members, like yourself, contacting me. I have received questions and complaints about noise, land use, visual appearance, and pollution related to the storage and loading of metal for recycling. I have also received communications in support of the family wage and union employment associated with BST operations. To best understand impacts, the Port compiles data about employment, along with monitoring of noise, stormwater, and air quality.  A BST FAQ page describes these data and more.  Briefly, employment and revenue are up. So are rates of some monitored stormwater substances. While this is not unexpected for a new cargo commodity, it identifies a need to improve practices and upgrade infrastructure. Air quality monitoring shows only negligible amounts of airborne dust or pollution from cargo loading. Acoustic monitoring does show some increases in noise, though it is less than the daily noise of trains. I know neighbors are impacted by short, loud, and rumbling noises – regardless of the acoustic data. We continue to work with ABC to shift operations and reduce impacts.

So, what should the public expect in the future and are there any changes based on public input? The Port will continue to utilize the BST for cargo import and export. Starting in 2024, the Port will use a $7M federal grant to partially fund upgraded stormwater management, dredging, and pier strengthening. Dredging and pier strengthening will increase the speed cargo can be loaded and increase our ability to market the BST to other prospective tenants. An entirely new stormwater filtration system will be installed to filter water and avoid contamination of our marine environment. As the Port continues to market the BST for cargo transfer, I will be looking for commodities that increase employment and revenue and are safe, clean, and as quiet as possible. A few of my other priorities are listed below:

• Move metal storage to the East end of the Log Pond, enclose it with concealing fencing, and require advanced stormwater controls
• Prioritize completion of routine cargo operations by 10 PM at the BST
• Collaborate with other regional Ports on best practices for metal handling
• Ensure that all commodity shipping contracts receive a review by the Port’s Environmental Division to ensure compatibility
• Empower Port staff with increased oversight of cargo loading operations and the ability to stop work to ensure compliance with best practices
• Engage in Waterfront District master planning to prioritize compatibility of industrial operations with mixed-use development
• Continue acoustic, air quality, and stormwater monitoring/reporting
• Continue providing regular opportunities for Port, tenant, neighbors, and BST workers to collaborate
• Better communicate the impact of increasing family-wage employment and revenue generation related to BST operations.

I greatly appreciate that you take the time to share your thoughts with me. I will try to provide more regular updates in the future. You are welcome to ask me to attend events or meetings so I can continue to be available for dialog on this important topic.

Sincerely,

Commissioner Michael Shepard

Seafood for the Holidays!

Do you want your holiday meal to be memorable and delicious? Try swapping that honey-baked ham for salmon! Seafood is always popular among holiday recipes and there are many health benefits that will make you not only enjoy that holiday meal but feel great about going back for seconds.

If you don't know what to cook - or aren't sure how to cook what you've got - Bellingham SeaFeast's Kevin Coleman and the Keep It Simple Seafood program have you covered. Keep It Simple Seafood has recipes and video guides to make your holiday meal one that everyone will enjoy. 

Presented by BECU and Alaskan Gold Seafoods , the program was launched last year to help showcase and educate the community about great seafood recipes and to promote the health benefits of seafood in a balanced diet.

Stay tuned in 2024 for more amazing recipes and cooking demonstrations.

Check out their recipes and guides from the past year below: 

You can keep up to date on all things seafood via Bellingham Seafeast's newsletter- check it out and subscribe below: 

Give the gift of community and health this year!

Need gift ideas? Check out Bellingham Seafeast's Top Picks to support your local seafood and maritime economy! 

Coalition Job Board - Digital Bulletins for Crew

(Photo: Getty Images)

The Whatcom Working Waterfront Coalition launched our Job Board last year as a digital bulletin board for waterfront jobs and crew positions.

Send us your phone and email, along with details on your open position (pay must be included per WA state law), and we'll list your information and position on our site.  You can then promote links to the job board, and other interested crew who may take your positions can search and find your information via our digital bulletins on this board.

To find out more, submit a position or see what positions are posted, visit the board:

Upcoming Coalition  & Maritime Events:

WWC Annual Member  Meeting
January 31, 5:30-7:00 p.m.
Squalicum Boathouse, 600 N. Harbor Loop Drive
All members are welcome to attend the Annual Meeting and hear what the Coalition has accomplished and  plans for the upcoming year.  We welcome your input and ideas for the coming year. 

WWC Q1 Board of Directors Meeting
February 14, 2024, 9:00 a.m.
708 Coho Way, Bellingham
Members and invited guests are welcome to join us for our first-quarter Board of Director's meeting of 2024.