Waterfront Wednesday News

January 15, 2025

Fishery Friendly Climate Action Reports Released

Fishery Friendly Climate Action released reports on Enabling Conditions to Transition to a Low Carbon Fishing Fleet this week, and the reports are available on the Coalition website, on our blog, and linked below.

The reports detail current vessel energy baselines, socio-economic concerns, and waterfront infrastructure requirements for transitions to happen, as well as the barriers, limitations that exist for our fishing community to access these solutions, and access to grant funding. The project aims to be a guide and resource for policy and grant writers to ensure that our commercial fishing industry not only remains included in future decisions and discussions, but also allows the industry to author and lead the transition.

The Working Waterfront Coalition supported this work by hosting two workshops in Whatcom County to connect our local fishing community with the researchers. We are proud to have helped with this effort and we'd like to thank Fishery Friendly Climate Action for this volume of work.

See the official press release, and access all three sections, containing 18 volumes of reporting, via the post linked below:

Marine Refrigeration Courses Coming to Bellingham

Trainees work hands-on in the RSW course. Photo: BBRSDA

This hands-on course is for anyone who wants to learn more about marine refrigeration. Whether you operate a Refrigerated Sea Water (RSW) system (blast or brine unit), this course covers how to operate your system safely and efficiently.

Instruction, taught by experienced professional technicians, this covers basic principles of refrigeration, your system's components, why good water plumbing is important. This is a hands-on course where you will work with a running, functioning, electric RSW unit, and study inside common refrigeration components.

The course is designed to increase your confidence as a marine refrigeration operator and show you how to recognize problems that you can solve, understand when to call a tech, and how to communicate with them. Bring your refrigeration questions! This class is conversational and lively, discussions are encouraged!

Course will be held in Bellingham on April 17th-20th. Find more information below:

National Working Waterfront Internship Opportunity

Internship Announcement for Applied Research on Working Waterfronts:

Protecting Water-Dependent Uses and Maritime Industry through Planning and Policy

[Submitted by the National Working Waterfront Network] The National Working Waterfront Network is currently looking for a graduate student to conduct exciting, applied research on working waterfronts in the United States. Specifically, this internship will provide students the opportunity to address real-world needs of working waterfronts through planning and policy. The internship will run during the spring from late-February through May 2024. Any graduate student currently enrolled in a United States academic institution is eligible to apply! Deadline for applications is currently 2/10/2025.

For more information and instructions on how to apply, please see attached announcement or visit the NWWN’s website, where the announcement can also be found detailing the proposed research and intern duties:

https://nationalworkingwaterfronts.com/about/internships/

Note: Internships will be conducted remotely. 

For any questions, please reach out to Shannon.Hogan@umb.edu of the Urban Harbors Institute and NWWN Internship Coordinator. Please feel free to share this widely and with your networks!

Thank you,

NWWN Internship Committee

Statue City Cruises will be electrified with Corvus Energy battery systems. Photo: Corvus Energy

Along with helping to electrify vessels here in WA State, Corvus Energy, headquartered in Bergen Norway, with a manufacturing plant here in Fairhaven, has been selected to build Energy Storage Systems (ESS's) for cruise vessels that tour the New York City harbor. The hybridization of the cruise fleet is another marker of the changes happening in our maritime industries, as more and more hybrid, electric, and alternately-fueled vessels are being built.

Read more about Corvus' upcoming contract on their website:

The Fairhaven working waterfront. Photo: Port of Bellingham

Urban Ocean Lab recently released a comprehensive succinct report about the pathways and strategies for preserving our nation's working waterfront infrastructure. The report, covering topics such as environmental clean-up, workforce development, and energy transition efforts, serves as a practical guide/framework for ensuring a working waterfront has the support and infrastructure it needs.

Read the full report via the link below or on our website under our 'Data & Research' tab:

The FISHES (Fishery Improvement to Streamline Untimely Regulatory Hurdles Post Emergency Situation) Act will help with disaster mitigation for commercial fishermen, and was signed into law by President Biden this week. This bi-partisan supported bill expedites federal aid to fishermen and women after fishery disaster declarations. The passing of this legislation is a step forward for fisheries to get needed relief in a shifting world of regulations and climate impacts.

You can read more via the National Fishermen publication, linked below:

Check out the upcoming happenings related to our waterfront. Please click on the links to learn more. We hope to see you at some of these events!

Annual Coalition Member Appreciation Night - February 12th, 5:30 to 7:00 p.mm
Join us at the Squalicum Boathouse in Zuanich Point Park. This annual evening celebrates our membership and also serves as a member-wide meeting to get direct feedback from members on programs, initiatives, and to help elect Board of Directors. Stick around after, from 7-8 p.m. for a mixer hour to connect with other members!

Crew Connections Mixer - February 26th, 5:30 p.m.
Happening at Structure's Brewing on Holly Street, downtown Bellingham. Are you interested in a job onboard a commercial fishing vessel? Are you a captain or operator looking to connect with potential crew? Come out for this ages 16+ event (Structures is all-ages friendly) and chat with operators and interested crew, make connections, and begin your maritime adventure!

Wild Seafood Connection - February 27th, All Day
Presented by the Port of Bellingham at the Holiday Inn on Mitchell Drive near the Airport, this one-day conference is aimed at the independent commercial fisherman who wants to learn about marketing and direct marketing to restaurants, retailers, brokers and seafood buyers.
 
Tide to Table 2025 - April 26th, 5:30 - 9:00 p.m.

Join us for our annual Tide to Table event hosted this year at the Bellwether Ballroom. Tickets and info coming soon. Join us for a fun night of celebrating our working waterfronts and those women and men who work hard each day in/on/around our waterfronts.