Waterfront Wednesday April 9, 2025
Waterfront Wednesday News
April 9, 2025
Regulatory freeze disrupts U.S. fisheries
Fishing vessels in Squalicum Harbor. Photo: Dan Tucker
Reporting from Reuters highlights that the national freeze on regulatory actions is disrupting fisheries management across the United States, leaving uncertainty ahead of the upcoming season. Read more about the disruptions from National Fisherman below:
Local Salmon Troller featured in Women on the Waterfront
F/V Nerka, operated by Tele Aadsen, trolling line in SE Alaska. Photo: Nerka Sea Salmon
Maritime Washington National Hertiage Area's ongoing series 'Women on the Waterfront' recently featured Tele Aadsen, long-time salmon troller and author of 'What Water Holds'. Tele Aadsen. Along with her partner, Joel Brady-Powers, Tele operates a fishing vessel (troller) in Alaska and calls Skagit & Whatcom county home.
Read about her life at sea and her remarkable stories via the link below:
The Origins of the Reefnet on Cascade PBS
Cascade PBS is now airing episodes of 'Origins: The Last Reefnetter', a documentary featuring the unique style of salmon fishing practiced by Coast Salish people in the Salish Sea. The first of the five episodes is now available on YouTube. The series is informative and highlights the people, language, and technology that shaped a culture around the salmon that run in the region.
You may watch the first episode via the link below, and tune into
Cascade PBS to watch the whole series:
Tide to Table Sponsorship Highlights
The Working Waterfront Coalition would like to thank AltaGas/ALA Energy for their continued support and year-round sponsorship of Tide to Table and our programming!
Operating out of Ferndale, they employ living-wage positions on the waterfront and operate one of Whatcom's marine terminals, and they're involved in several local community organizations and stewardship programs. They're also planning a state-of-the-art facility at the Alcoa brownfield site to produce hydrogen power for next-generation energy infrastructure. Check out more about them via the blog post below:
The Working Waterfront Coalition would like to thank Vigilant: Counsel for Employers for their continued support and year-round sponsorship of Tide to Table and our programming!
Giving expert advice to employers on matters relating to employment and the workplace since 1960, they offer a wide range of services with experienced consultants. Check out
Vigilant.org for more info, or our highlight of them below:
Pacific Marine Expo posts Call for Speakers
The Pacific Marine Expo has officially posted the call for speakers to present at the annual exposition in November 2025. Topics may include boat building, fishing gear, marketing and selling, technology, regional issues and more.
If you or anyone you know may be interested in the opportunity to share your knowledge, projects, or insights, follow the link below to learn more:
Tide to Table Tickets going fast, sales close April 18th
Tickets are going fast for the Coalition's annual Tide to Table Dinner on Saturday, April 26th at the Hotel Bellwether Ballroom. The dinner is our celebration of the Salish Sea and all it provides with a seafood buffet, live and silent auction, and lots of good camaraderie and fun. With this year's theme of Kentucky Derby, we invite you to join us for this fun night with your best trackside derby outfits. Big hats, garden-party attire, and mint juleps are all in season as our salmon run for the roses with our Kentucky Derby theme this year.
Tickets will be on sale through April 18th - so get your tickets today via the link below!
Tickets available for $120/individual, and $880 for a table of 8 - get yours today!
Sponsorships Available
Alta-Gas
Premera
DiMartino
All-American Marine
The Coalition would like to thank these sponsors for their support!
Your Coalition is growing. Your partnership and support make it all possible. Sponsorship options include: 1) Tide-to-Table event-specific sponsorship and/or 2) Coalition-general supporting the year-round work we do to promote the economic vitality and diversity of working waterfronts here in Whatcom and throughout the state. Sponsor packages are available at the sponsor deck via the link below. If you'd like to build a custom package - reach out to our staff at Info@whatcomworkingwaterfront.org.
Donate to our Auction
Want to take a trip to SE Alaska and enjoy the majesty of the great, big, broad land way up yonder? Would you like to be a Brewer-for-a-Day with a well-known local brewery? How about owning a rare print of fine maritime art? Our auction is shaping up to be exciting this year. Look for individual previews coming soon to whet your appetite as we fund-race for the roses (and our maritime trades advocacy work)!
Get hyped for the Tide to Table auction this year, and donate your own contribution to the cause! We invite you to donate items to our live and/or silent auction! If you have gifts, experiences, or unique items that you'd like to go towards creating economic opportunities in our region, preserving our workforce, and help maintain our waterfronts working, consider donating them to our auctions for Tide to Table '25!
To donate items, experiences, or gifts, please use the form linked below, or contact our staff at Info@whatcomworkingwaterfront.org. Please send your Item submissions by April 18th. Contact us today if you'd like to be a part of the auction for this fun evening.
Backcountry Medical Guides offers trainings
Photo: Backcountry Medical Guides
Whether you spend time cruising, racing, day sailing, or offshore, this Advanced First Aid/CPR for Mariners will prepare you for your next adventure.
Combining a highly experiential in-person training with self-paced Maritime Medicine Online course, this program provides all the skills practice and knowledge needed to handle a range of medical and traumatic emergencies at sea. This class is US Sailing accredited, meets World Sailing Offshore Special Regulation (OSR 6.05) Medical Training requirements, US Sailing Senior First Aid Requirements, is valid for US Coast Guard Merchant Mariner credentials, and can be used to re-certify a Wilderness First Responder certificate within its grace period.
There are several locations and times the course will be available. Check the website for more information at
Backcountry Medical Guides
A Bellingham course will be held
July 18-19, and spots are still available:
Beach Cleanup in Blaine
Saturday, April 12, 11:00 a.m., Blaine Marine Park
Join us for a morning of giving back in Blaine on Saturday, April 12. We'll meet at the Starbucks and then walk to an area that needs some TLC. Let's come together as a community to clean up our beautiful spaces, protect our shoreline and marine life, and enjoy some fresh air. After the clean up, stick around for our Beautiful Bivalves fundraiser at Drayton Harbor Oyster Company. Interested in volunteering for this beach clean-up? Sign up at
Seafeast Blaine Beach Clean Up.
Afterward, join us for Beautiful Bivalves!
Beautiful Bivavles
Saturday, April 12, 2-3:30pm, Drayton Harbor Oyster Company
Local shellfish experts will share what they know about the role of shellfish in tribal food sovereignty, the pleasures and pitfalls of growing shellfish commercially, great ways to enjoy oysters (yes, you'll get to enjoy eating them!), and maintaining this important food source in Whatcom County.
WWIN and Bellingham SeaFeast invites you to join in this delicious event generously sponsored by the
Drayton Harbor Oyster Company!
Attendance is free and space is limited - so arrive early to grab a spot! A portion of the proceeds from food and beverage purchases will support SeaFeast's ocean conservation efforts.
More information available at BellinghamSeafeast.org:
Port Commission Meetings
Port Commissioners Open Meetings are held at the Port Admin Offices and are open to the public. Check the Agenda Center (Linked on each meeting time below) for posted agendas. Agendas typically get posted a week in advance of the scheduled meeting. Two periods of public comment occur each meeting before and after the agenda items, as well as special public hearings as designated on the agendas.
Location: Port Admin Offices, 1801 Roeder Ave, Bellingham
Port of Bellingham Agenda Center (check here for updated agendas)
Upcoming Meetings:
April 15st - Board of Commissioner's Open Public Meeting
May 6th - Board of Commissioner's Open Public Meeting
Past Meeting Information
YouTube Link:
April 1st - Board of Commissioner's Open Public Meeting
Recent Minutes Posted:
March 18 - Board of Commissioner's Minutes
Upcoming Waterfront & Coalition Events
Waterfront Events:
May 3rd, 9:30am - 3:00pm
Squalicum Harbor, Bellingham
Opening Day Celebration with Bellingham Yacht Club. Featuring a members reception, public ceremonies, and the annual boat parade. Join the community out for this annual kick off of the summer recreational and working seasons! More information at
Bellingham Yacht Club
Blessing of the Fleet - Blaine
May 4th, 1:30pm
Blaine Boating Center
Blaine Harbor, Bellingham
The Blessing of the Fleet is an annual heartwarming event every spring. This special ceremony brings together a diverse group of people, including commercial fishers, families, and friends, all united in their excitement for the new season and hoping for a bountiful catch. Along with the blessing of the boats and those who will be fishing, the event includes a poignant remembrance ceremony to honor local commercial fishers who were lost at sea over the last century. It’s an opportunity to unite as a community and pay tribute to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.
Blessing of the Fleet
May 10th, 11:00am
Safe Return Fisherman's Memorial Statue
Squalicum Harbor, Bellingham
Join the Whatcom Commercial Fisherman's Association as they honor those who have lost their lives, and bless those who are departing in our local fishing fleets.
Coalition Events:
Are You Hiring? Use the Coalition Job Board
The Coalition's
Job Board is free, contactless, and easy! We designed this board for our commercial fishermen, marine trades industries and other waterfront jobs in mind, to act as a digital bulletin board for crew positions, contract hires, or regular employee spots that you want to have a digital space for.
If you have any questions on using it, reach out to our staff, info@whatcomworkingwaterfront.org. To submit a job posting, use the link below:
Affordable Health Benefits
for Statewide Maritime Companies
The Working Waterfront Health Trust provides affordable pooled insurance health plans for qualifying marine-trades businesses -
state-wide. The Trust launched two years ago, has grown steadily each year and provides a range of health plans to consider through Premera Blue Cross.
If you'd like to know more about the Health Trust, contact your insurance broker today and ask them about the Working Waterfront Health Trust. Fall is the peak time to meet with your broker to discuss options for your employees for 2025.
This newsletter sponsored by:
Alta-Gas
Premera
Copyright 2024 Waterfront Wednesdays by Whatcom Working Waterfront Coalition
Waterfront Wednesday is a publication
of the Whatcom Working Waterfront Coalition.
www.whatcomworkingwaterfront.org
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