Waterfront Wednesday News

July 17, 2024

'Hannah' Returns to Full Capacity after Fire

Northline Seafood's "The Hannah", under tow earlier this year. Photo: Northline Seafoods

Dillingham, Alaska — Bristol Bay salmon processor Northline Seafoods is back to full operations onboard their freezer barge, the Hannah, after an electrical fire under one of its three spiral freezers slowed production capacity earlier this season. 

Due to the hard work and continued efforts of Northline engineers and our freezer manufacturers, all three spiral freezers are now operational. 

In the last week, production onboard the Hannah has ramped up to include a period where more than 1,000,000 pounds of sockeye were purchased, frozen, and boxed in 48 hours. Production capacity onboard the Hannah will continue to increase as Northline’s engineering team works through the systems. 

“It is important that we communicate to our fleet and our partners that we are learning from the mechanical challenges so that we may come in even stronger and more competitive next year,” said Ben Blakey, Northline Seafoods CEO.

Northline Seafoods is currently buying salmon in the Nushagak, Naknek, and Ugashik districts and will be a late-season buyer, operating until August 10th or later. 

*This story was edited to share a recent press release from Northline Seafoods regarding the 'Hannah.' 

Whatcom County Council Debates Permitting Moratorium

Google Maps image of the areas containing High-Impact Industrial Zoning. Photo: Google Maps

The Whatcom County Council is set to consider and discuss a moratorium regarding industrial permitting in the High-Impact Industrial Zones with the Urban Growth Areas on the north side of Bellingham, near the Alderwood neighborhood. The Council voted to introduce the conversation to the Committee of the Whole meeting on July 23rd. There is currently no schedule to vote for enacting a moratorium, but that could change after the conversation on the 23rd.

The ordinance in discussion is:
'Ordinance imposing an interim moratorium on the acceptance and processing of applications and permits for new uses in areas zoned heavy impact industrial within a City's designated urban growth area'. 

The Coalition encourages all our members to contact the council (link below), and let them know that the conversation around zoning changes needs to be made in accordance with existing review processes, which allow for equitable and fair processes, instead of actions taken outside of those processes in response to individual businesses, especially when those permits and businesses are no longer active in the county and have been pulled.

Our industrial lands which fall adjacent to residential areas already have, within the Urban Fringe Subarea Zoning Codes 20.68.708 (Appearance) and 20.68552 (4), specific requirements to mitigate impacts that detail aesthetics be 'harmonious' and in the general character of the area, increased buffering and landscaping requirements, and requirements to mitigate noise, dust, contaminants, or any other 'off-site impact of a detrimental nature' in order to gain an approval for the permit to move forward. The Department of Ecology as well, has strict standards under which permits are vetted and approved, with those standards being recently updated and different than they were even just 4 years ago, making our region one of the most stringent to obtain an approval for industrial permits in the nation.

Those standards of permitting code, which are applied to every permit application, already address the stated reasons why the Council is considering a moratorium, which include concerns over impacts and harmonious use of the area. Council members stated that because allowed uses for the zoning might change next year, a moratorium was needed. The Coalition asserts that a moratorium is not needed given the stringent requirements for permitting review already present in the existing codes, and gives the wrong signal to potential investors and existing businesses regarding hosting living-wage jobs in our county.

The meeting on July 23rd will be hybrid. For meeting details and to contact your County Council members and urge them to let our fair processes work, follow the link below:

Bellingham Cold Storage Expands into Skagit County

Map highlighting BCS facilities in Bellingham. Photo: Bellingham Cold Storage

Bellingham, WA (July 9, 2024): Bellingham Cold Storage (BCS), a leading provider of cold storage and value-added processing services in the Pacific Northwest, is excited to announce the opening of two new buildings at its Burlington, Washington campus on July 15, 2024. This expansion brings the Skagit Valley operations to a total of four warehouses, including three dedicated cold storage facilities and one dry storage building. The additional capacity allows BCS to accommodate a growing customer base and aligns with their ten-year plan for strategic expansion throughout the region.

Congratulations to BCS for their continued success, and we're excited to see them continue to grow. To read more about the expansion and BCS, see the official press release below:

Invasive Green Crabs still threaten WA waters

European Green Crab. Photo: WA Sea Grant

European Green Crabs are one of the worst invasive species of crab in the world and they continue to threaten Washington waters. Washington Sea Grant has been leading the efforts in dealing with the prolific crustaceans.  The Bellingham Herald recently outlined their plans and what to do if you see one:

Don't Miss Day on the Bay

A local fisherman mends nets at the Fisherman's Pavilion Net Mending Shed. There will be live demos on net mending at Day on the Bay. Photo: Dan Tucker

Eat Local Month will recognize Seafood Week from September 23-30. This year, Sustainable Connections, Bellingham SeaFeast, and the Whatcom Working Waterfront Coalition are partnering to launch an all-new event, Day on the Bay.

During Day on the Bay, on September 28, folks will learn about Bellingham’s rich maritime culture, fishing industry, and maritime businesses on Bellingham Bay. This self-guided event allows folks to stop at more than 12 locations along the Bay to meet fishermen and tour their boats, visit the touch tanks, learn to crab, view historical photos, check out fishing demos, and so much more! 

Squalicum Harbor Updates Registration Requirements

The Port of Bellingham, in an effort to keep the slips at Squalicum Harbor active, and to help some of the issues around derelict or dormant vessels, the Port, with the input from the Marina Advisory Committee, is updating the policy regarding vessel registrations.

Previously, proof of registration was only required upon initial moorage sign up. Going forward, to maintain the moorage, the vessel will need to show current registration each year. If no current registration is available, the vessel could be asked to relinquish moorage after appropriate notification was given to the owner, with the goal of compliance within a reasonable amount of time.

The new focus aligns the administrative processes of collecting registrations with current state law. Coast Guard-documented vessels require registration with the state no later than 60 days after use in Washington. The Port will no longer accept Coast Guard documentation in lieu of state registration without valid proof of exemption.

If you moor a vessel in Squalicum Harbor and do not have a current registration on file, you are requested to submit those documents no later than July 31, 2024. They can be received via email, physical mail, or in person at the Harbormaster's Office.

Please reach out to Squalicum@PortofBellingham.com for questions or concerns.

Skagit River Salmon Season Extended

The Skagit River Salmon Season will be running through July 24th this year.  See the announcement via the link below, with details on catch limits:

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:

Upcoming Waterfront & Coalition Events