Whatcom Marine Trades Economic Impact Study 2024

The Port of Bellingham has teamed up with McKinley Research and the Working Waterfront Coalition to illustrate the impacts of Marine Trades industries and the maritime economy in Whatcom County. The study details the revenue and jobs that the maritime industry helps to support county-wide and shows an industry that is not only vibrant but vital to the local economy.

The Port and the Working Waterfront Coalition approached McKinley on the project from a need to update the data, since the last time an economic report was done was 2016, which was building off of numbers from an earlier study. This new study utilizes data from 2023 and the study done by the Maritime Federation the year prior.

Notable highlights are the 6,400 jobs that are supported directly or indirectly by the maritime economy, including everyone from commercial fishing families to trucking and logistics that transport the product overland, from recreational boating to the chandleries that cater to them. The economic base of jobs is incredibly diverse. Even the tech industry, often thought to be distant from the marine trades, has a stake and is impacted by the maritime economy here.

The total revenue to the county tops $1.6 billion, making the contribution one of the highest by sector. At over 3,600 direct jobs, the maritime economy is one of the strongest employers of living wage opportunities in the county, an impact felt by the many families sustained by our strong trades economy. Over 1,000 of those are commercial fishing-related jobs that not only provide for the fishermen and their families, but also provide a bountiful supply of local and Alaskan wild-caught fish that Whatcom County residents enjoy at dining establishments and grocery stores county-wide.

The impacts of Whatcom's maritime industry extend far beyond the waterfront. In Bellingham, integral trade businesses operate out of the Marine Drive Industrial Park and the Irongate Industrial area. County-wide, the industry supports businesses in many neighboring communities including Ferndale, Blaine, and Birch Bay, even extending out into Lynden, Everson, and other small cities. These businesses, many of which are categorized under the "Maritime Support and Logistics" category, are comprised of those who work in fiberglass repair, canvas work, refrigeration systems repair and maintenance, infrastructure and manufacturing for vessels and docks, and other trades that support vessels and crews going out to sea.