Waterfront Wednesday News

October 9, 2024

Bellingham SeaFeast Hosts Annual Seafood Celebration

Fisher Poet Amy Sharp shares her stories to a packed Ponderosa Beer & Books for SeaFeast after-hours event "Fish Tales & Ales."  Photo: Dan Tucker

Bellingham SeaFeast welcomed people throughout the region down to the waterfront last weekend with music, arts, culture and most importantly - a feast of local seafood that showcased the fare and livelihoods that define our way of life. Fresh seafood from Dockside Market, grilled salmon from Lummi Nation's open fire pit, music, art, and more all came out to celebrate our connection to the sea.

Grace Aukschun-Johnson from Western Washington University joined the celebration and wrote about the festival for Western's 'The Front' publication. You can read her story about the festival and see more photos via the link below:

NW Maritime Center Hosts Winter Workshops

The NW Maritime Center, Port Townsend, Washington has published their Fall Newsletter highlighting the fall and winter classes offered on several maritime operations topics. Learn to dock with no impact, avoid collisions using radar, get a download on Rules of the Road, get ideas for decorations with your boat hull offcuts, and more!  Some courses are in person, others are offered virtually.

Check the newsletter linked below for a full list of upcoming fun and informative classes by our friends at the NW Maritime Center:

Snow Crab Collapse Due to Ecological Shift in Bering Sea

Snow Crabs. Photo: NOAA Fisheries

[NOAA Fisheries, Aug 21 2024] -  NOAA Fisheries scientists attribute the abrupt collapse of snow crab in Alaska to borealization, or an ecological shift from Arctic to sub-Arctic conditions in the southeastern Bering Sea due to human-caused climate change. 

Cold-adapted species like snow crab are well suited to Arctic conditions. However, when "borealization" occurs, the ecosystem shifts to subarctic conditions that are less conducive to snow crab survival. Instead, those conditions favor warm-adapted species and temperate marine ecosystems. 

With further warming expected in the next 10 to 20 years, results indicate that the Arctic characteristics necessary for the snow crab stock may become scarce in the southeastern Bering Sea.

Read the story via NOAA.gov linked below:

Maritime WA Nat'l Heritage Area Hosts Partner Info Session

Working Waterfront staff (right) pose with other Maritime WA National Heritage Area members in front of the S/V Lady Washington. Photo: MWNHA

Thursday, October 10 | 12:00 - 1:00 pm
Staff, leaders, and volunteers from all partner organizations are invited to join us for a virtual conversation about the Maritime Washington National Heritage Area, what it means to be a partner, and how you can get the most out of your collaboration with this region-wide network. Recommended for new staff—and anyone who needs a refresher on Maritime Washington!

Chinook By-Catch Closes Alaskan Gulf Whitefish Fishery

Chinook Salmon. Photo: NOAA Fisheries

Recently, Fishermen's News covered an incident that has shut down the whitefish fishery, with 2,000 Chinook fish being caught by mistake in what is known as 'by-catch' while fishermen fished for Pollock. This closure is devastating for Gulf of Alaska fishing communities.

You may read about the incident via the link below, and the environmental and economic impacts of the closure:

NOAA Fisheries Releases

National Seafood Strategy Implementation Plan

A Longliner halibut fishing vessel tied up at Squalicum's sawtooth dock. Photo: Dan Tucker

NOAA Fisheries released the National Seafood Strategy Implementation Plan on October 1st. The plan identifies four pilot initiatives around which we will activate and enhance partnerships to tackle cross-cutting issues. These initiatives include efforts to:

• Bolster industry resilience in the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic shrimp fishery
• Support revitalization of the Port of Port Orford, Oregon
• Increase climate resilience in highly migratory species fisheries
• Support Alaska’s seafood sector resilience 

You can read more about the plan via the NOAA article, and read the 14-page document, via the link below:

Coalition Board Members Steve Walker & Ellie Kinley serve oysters at last year's festival. Photo: Dan Tucker

Drayton Harbor Oyster Company and the Blaine-by-the-Sea team up once again to host this year's Blaine Oyster Festival, Saturday, Oct. 12th.

Enjoy arts and crafts vendors, music, and most importantly - oysters -  as the community celebrates the Northwest's favorite bi-valve. Hear the famous Monk Slippers with their live jazz, enjoy an all-ages beer garden, kids activities, and a street fair!

See information on the festival and plan your trip to Blaine this Saturday, October 12th for Blaine OysterFest 2024!

Bellingham's working waterfront. Photo: Steve Hardin

Citizens of Whatcom County are hereby notified pursuant to the laws of the State of Washington; the 2025 Preliminary Strategic Budget of the Port of Bellingham shall be prepared, on file, and available to view online, Monday, October 21, 2024.

The public is invited to attend presentations and hearings and provide public comment on the proposed budget including 2025 proposed property tax levy on Tuesday, November 5 & Tuesday, November 19, 2024 at 4:00 p.m., 1801 Roeder Avenue, Bellingham:

2025 Strategic budget is scheduled to be formally adopted by the Port Commission Tuesday, November 19, 2024, at 4:30 p.m. - Written comments accepted through 5:00 p.m., Monday, November, 18, 2024.

The Port welcomes people with disabilities to participate in all public meetings. For assistance with special needs, please call the Port at 360-676-2500 at least four days in advance.