Coalition Blog

Paul Meyer sits down with Austin Rose from the Marine Resource Committee to talk about the marine sanctuary proposals that have led to the MRC's creation, and what the MRC does here in the region.

Dan and Kevin discuss the look ahead for 2025, including a brand new event, called Race Week, coming to Bellingham in 2025. Kevin also chats about all the upcoming events for Bellingham Seafeast that you can track at www.bellinghamseafeast.org Dan discusses all the amazing excursions available to our region, and gets hyped for our upcoming summer.

This week, a regulatory freeze disrupts U.S. fisheries, A local fisher is featured in Women on the Waterfront, "The Last Reefnetters" ep. 1 is featured on Cascade PBS, Tide to Table Sponsor highlights go out to Vigilant and AltaGas/ALA Energy, The Pacific Marine Expo puts out call for speakers, Tide to Table ticket sales are going fast and close April 18th, Beach Clean Up and Bivalves events for Bellingham Seafeast happen in Blaine, and Backcountry Medical guides offers maritime first aid and CPR training.

Tide to Table Sponsor Highlight - Vigilant

Hullwork - April, 2025

AltaGas/ALA Energy Sponsor Post

This week: Northline Seafoods returns to Bristol Bay for 2025 A Pathway to Protect Working Waterfronts webinar is available to view CBC launches their new Hearing Loop programming, along with hosts Tide Talks this evening Seattle City Council votes on controversial re-zoning of transitional light-industry zone, The Puyallup Tribe sets to open their own shipping terminal in Tacoma, Green initiatives for fishermen stall with funding cuts, Island Opportunity Charters & San Juan Sailing offers summer adventures, Pacific Halibut fishery opens with uncertainty, WA Sea Grant offers FFAST Skills and Drills Beautiful Bivalves abound in Blaine

Hullwork - March edition. Tide to Table, tariffs and funding, business networking, and events planning.

This week: - Bull kelp bill passes house to designate state marine forest - Maritime Institute hosts Mariner Boot Camp - Race Week comes to Bellingham - Economic Futures Through Ports recording available to watch - "The Last Reefnetters" features local fisherwomen - Maritime Safety Days Event approaches - SE Alaskan Fisheries face misinformation and lawsuits - Tide to Table ticket sales are up!

Dan travels to the National Working Waterfront Conference in San Diego and speaks with organizations and individuals from around the nation about working waterfronts, and the efforts underway to save them.

Georgia Pacific Story, Pt. 2 with Anna Booker & Kolby LaBree Dan and Kevin chat with Kolby LaBree of Bellinghistory Good Time Girls, and Anna Booker, History Instructor with Whatcom Community College, about the Georgia Pacific plant and its effect on Bellingham and Whatcom County. Part 2 of 2.

This week, the Mosquito Fleet Act is in the WA House Legislature, Department of Ecology hosts their walkthrough of Fairhaven shipyard, and accepts comments on the clean up site, hybrid propulsion gains steam in ferries, Gig Harbor Boat Shop offers crew courses, and Tide to Table highlights our first round of sponsorships.

Dan and Kevin chat with Kolby LaBree of Bellinghistory Good Time Girls, and Anna Booker, History Instructor with Whatcom Community College, about the Georgia Pacific plant and its effect on Bellingham and Whatcom County. Part 1 of 2.

Dan and Kevin share economic news from the Port of Bellingham, and Beth Pielert, co-director of "Salmon People: Preserving a Way of Life" discusses the new film by Children of the Setting Sun.

Dan visits Pacific Marine Expo and hears from the voices on the floor.

This guest submission post from Tiel and Phil Riise of Seaview Boatyard details new improvements to the Seaview Fairhaven location, and whats next for Seaview on the horizon.

This week, the Coalition wraps the National Working Waterfront conference in San Diego, Dept. of Ecology and the Port begin the clean up operations at the Harris St. Shipyard in Fairhaven, the Ballard Locks get some long-needed maintenance, the Port releases their economic Development Progress Report, Seaview Boatyard shares a highlight of what's next for their locations in Bellingham, Tide to Table tickets go on sale, and new proposed rules for the Dungeness crab fishery are open to public review.

Hullwork - February, 2025

This week, the Working Waterfront Coalition will be attending Maritime Day, Norwegian Delegation of Blue Tech innovators visits in Seattle, Maritime WA National Heritage Area posts Advocacy Workshop online, Bellingham Seafeast Vendor Applications are open, maritime education op-ed details local efforts, Alaskan fisheries op-ed details a sea of troubles, and several important dates to save are coming up fast!

This week, Fishery Friendly Climate Action releases their research and report on conditions to transition the fishing fleets to a low carbon future, Marine Refrigeration courses come to Bellingham, the National Working Waterfront Network offers an internship opportunity, Urban Ocean Lab releases a study guide to preserving working waterfronts, Corvus Energy wins a bid to electrify another ferry system, and the FISHES Act is signed into law.

Fishery Friendly Climate Action Released their report on Transitioning to a Low Carbon Fishing Fleet this week, with strategies and details on the industry and how it can interface with changing regulation and grant opportunities, what is important to those in the industry, and what barriers to change exist for the industry.

This week, Wild Seafood Connection returns, Marine Trades impact study is released, WA Sea Grant offers skills & drills trainings, public comment sought on new hydrogen production facility, new technology pioneered by Finland company Hycamite could allow ships to produce their own fuel underway, and several upcoming 2025 dates to save are highlighted.

Coalition Staff Report for 2025 New Year.

Port of Bellingham Releases new Marine Trades Economic Impact Study

The Port of Bellingham Releases their Economic Impact Study, Maritime WA has cool merchandise for sale, and the Coalition closes out our 2024, with a look ahead.

The Working Waterfront Coalition closes out 2024 with thanks to our amazing community, members, Board and volunteers. We look forward to the coming year!

This week, NOAA releases Coastal Inundation reports for employment in flood-prone areas, Crew Connections Mixer is coming up, NW Maritime Apprenticeship Program is highlighted in the Western Front, the Maritime Institute acquires Compass Courses, the Working Waterfront Coalition heads to a national conference, MarineLog offers an op-ed on US Shipbuilding, and the Pacific Marine Expo features a panel on workforce development and the next generation of fishermen.

This week, the team visits the Marine Life Center and Bellingham Dockside Market to get highlights from two local places where you can connect directly to your waterfront.

This week, AI boosts Alaska Pollock assessments, Crew Connections Mixer connects captains to crews, NW Maritime Apprenticeship Program celebrates National Apprenticeship Month, maritime safety improves with wearable technology, WA king tides program invites public photos, Pacific Marine Expo kicks off in Seattle, the Port hosts the annual Port Holiday festival at the cruise terminal, All-American Marine partners with ABB for hybrid-electric catamaran, and the Port of Bellingham approves their 2025 Strategic Budget.

Dan sits down with Mark and Craig from Island Opportunity Charters, I-2117 fails to pass, Bellingham Seafeast wins awards, Port of Bellingham receives public comment on their budget, and Navigator's night with the CBC approaches.

This week, the F/V Alaskan Girl perseveres after a fire, an initiative affecting waterfront development fails to pass, Navigator's Night with the Community Boating Center approaches, we give a quick overview of this last Congress' working waterfront bills that we're following into a new Congress, the Port receives $1.5 million for the Clean Ports grant, commercial fisherman struggle with low pricing, the Port of Bellingham puts out RFPs for the 701/801 Roeder Avenue plot, and the Port's 2025 Strategic Budget received public comment yesterday, with another public hearing scheduled.

F/V Alaskan Girl suffered a fire on Oct 27th, and Captain Brannon Finney describes the perseverance of her crew.

This week, Paul Meyer sits down with Brian Gouran and Mike Hogan from the Port of Bellingham to discuss the ongoing clean up operations visible all around Bellingham Bay.

This week, the Port's ECAP program helps monitor the waterfront, Tacoma Blue Edge presents Digital Solutions for the maritime economy, Navigator's Night returns with Community Boating Center, US Reps Pingree & Murphy introduce bi-partisan disaster mitigation tax credits for working waterfronts, the Alaska Seafood Industry takes sharp hit in 2023, Hyundai makes an ammonia engine breakthrough, the Port's Strategic Budget for 2025 is released, and the Small Shipyard grant is at a crossroads.

The Port's Environmental Compliance Assessment Program helps to monitor and inform businesses on the waterfront regarding regulation, clean up, mitigation and their impacts. The goal is to keep tenants aware and help them be sustainable stewards of the waterfront. Sustainability Program Manager Adrienne Douglass-Scott talks about the program and what it does.

Dan hosts legislators and officials on the mainstage of Bellingham Seafeast to talk all things waterfront. Hear the challenges, and future of our waterfront development from the folks involved in policy and planning around it.

Bellingham SeaFeast hosts celebration on the waterfront, NW Maritime Center hosts winter workshops, Snow Crab fishery faces collapse, Maritime WA National Heritage Area Partner Info Session is coming up, Chinook bycatch closes Alaskan Gulf Whitefish fisheries, NOAA releases Seafood Strategy Implementation Plan, Drayton Harbor OysterFest approaches Oct 12th, this Saturday, and the Port of Bellingham releases public notice of the upcoming comment period for the Strategic Budget of 2025.

Dan visits the Wooden Boat Festival in Port Townsend, and talks to several participants on why they come each year, and what the festival means to them.

Jessica Gillis stops by for Day on the Bay promotions and highlights with Kevin & Dan.

Bellingham Shipping Terminal is open for tours, get ready for Bellingham SeaFeast, Fisher Poets come to Bellingham, Whatcom Watershed Information Network goes on Love Your Waterfront, Rum-Running in the San Juans, capturing carbon in the marine environment has congressional hearing, the National Working Waterfront Conference set for February, and WTA's harbor bus line is now live!

Susan Lindsay sits down with Cheryl Niles of Whatcom Watershed Information Network, and Dan attends the Wooden Boat Festival in Port Townsend, and chats with Loni Greninger of the Jamestown S'Klallum Tribe, and Belinda Joslin of the group "Women in Boatbuilding", an international organization that celebrates women in marine trades.

Plover is issued a no-sail order, Coalition President Lange Solberg gives an update, the Coalition and Foundation visit the Wooden Boat Festival in Port Townsend and Dockside Education Day, Bristol Bay Fishermen face struggles this season, Green Crabs still threaten WA coasts, the NW Apprenticeship Program welcomes new apprentices, the Working Waterfront Foundation offers a course for navigating employer assistance, National Fisherman talks fishing vessel modernization, and WTA starts waterfront bus service.

Lange Solberg, President of the Coalition, gives a fall update on the Coalition and the waterfront.

The Port of Bellingham has been awarded a $2.8 million grant for electrification of the Bellingham Shipping Terminal. This grant will reduce carbon emissions, support key climate goals in the Port’s Climate Action Strategy, and help position the Shipping Terminal as a long- term job-creator for Whatcom County and the cornerstone of a vibrant working waterfront.

Follow a waterfront travel itinerary to Blaine and Pt. Roberts, Richard Blumenthal publishes new Maritime Names of Washington book, Port contracts marketing firm to help with messaging, Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival approaches, dry-moorage space in Bellingham at a premium, Dockside Market Hosts Education Day, SE Alaska Trollers win in 9th District Court, and Blue Drinks Q3 is coming up Sept. 18th.

Dr. Alex Parker talks about the Astraeus Project's mission to provide fast, autonomous data collection at sea to aid in research, and Kevin & Dan highlight the news of WTA adding waterfront bus routes, and Day on the Bay features.

Port and WWC Accept DERA Funding, All-American Marine wins a new contract for cutting edge research vessel, RMI releases ZEF roadmap for WA shipping sector, Larrabee State Park officials reverse access decision, Sen. King proposes tax credits for working waterfronts, NWIRC hosts annual Cohort Kickoff, Blue Drinks Q3 meet up coming up, Port of Tacoma switches to R99 fuel, the Working Waterfront Health Trust is open for enrollment, and the Coalition's job board is free, contactless and designed for our community to use.

Susan LIndsey sits down with Renee LaCroix from the City of Bellingham to chat about the Little Squalicum Estuary project. Kevin and Dan highlight news and talk about Day on the Bay, Blue Drinks and the Lummi Reefnet Festival.

County seeks to sidestep Comp Plan Review Process, All-American MV Sea Change finally in operation,Bristol Bay Salmon are smallest weight on record, Access revoked for Larrabee to businesses after hours, Working Waterfront wins photo contest, Whatcom Chief project costs rise further than expected, and the Working Waterfront Health Trust offers competitive pooled-insurance plans for any qualifying marine trades company state-wide.