October 3, 2022
By the Seattle Propeller Club
While it’s terrific to celebrate National Seafood Month in October by enjoying delicious, healthy, and nutritious seafood recipes, consider the industry behind your delicious meal. The Fishers of the North Pacific Fishing Fleet based at Fishermen’s Terminal support a critical link between the fishing industries of Alaska and Washington.
Keystone industry
The commercial fishing industry is an essential component of our region’s economy and has been for generations. According to the Washington State Department of Commerce:
- Nearly 700 fishing and seafood operations are located in Washington
- Our state is the largest producer of hatchery-reared and farmed shellfish
- Washington is second in the nation in seafood processing
(Source: Washington State Department of Commerce)
“The fishing economies of Washington and Alaska have historically been linked through crew, vessel home ports, maintenance and drydock services, seafood shipping, and value-added processing,” said Kenny Lyles, Director of Maritime Operations and Security for the Port of Seattle. “Our facilities at Fishermen’s Terminal, Terminal 91, and SEA Airport play a crucial role as a gateway for the Alaska seafood industry.”
Lyles noted that commercial fishing vessels moored at the Port of Seattle supply 13% of the total U.S. commercial fishing harvest by tonnage. And that also means more than 16,000 high-paying jobs here at our fishing companies, shipyards, and suppliers.
The Ballard/Interbay/Lake Union area is home to hundreds of maritime and fishing companies, including gillnetters, purse seiners, and halibut schooners at Fishermen’s Terminal; the large harvesters and processors at Terminal 91; a dozen major seafood companies, fuel providers, 10 shipyards, supply companies, and other marine services. Many of these businesses have operated for more than 100 years!
Of the 300 commercial fishing vessels that used Port of Seattle facilities in 2017, 226 of these vessels actively fished in Alaskan waters to catch Pollock, Alaskan king crab, groundfish, salmon, and other seafood. Alaska is the top U.S. seafood producer, producing 5.7 billion pounds in 2019, which equates to two-thirds of the nation’s wild seafood harvest in a typical year!
In addition, seafood is one of the top export commodities shipped out of the Ports of Seattle and Tacoma, with a total value in 2016 of $637.9 million.
The ties that bind
The “Economic Value of Alaska’s Seafood Industry” was the subject of a 2022 study by McKinley Research Group. Here are a few highlights of the ties between Alaska and Washington:
- Alaska’s seafood industry shipped approximately one billion pounds of finished product southbound to Washington, or the equivalent of about 23,000 containers!
- Nearly all Alaska canned salmon (107 million pounds in 2021) is labeled in Washington at two labeling and quality control factories — Salmon Terminals and Kent Warehouse and Labeling
- Almost all live seafood harvested in Southeast Alaska (oysters, geoducks, king crab, and sea cucumbers) goes through SEA Airport to get to Asian markets quickly
- Washington has the second largest seafood processing workforce in the U.S. after Alaska
- After Alaska (19,808 fishermen), Washington (5,863 fishermen) provides the highest number of skippers, crew, and active permit owners in the Alaska fishing industry than any other state
- In 2021, there were 893 Washington-homeported vessels participating in Alaska fisheries
In 2021, McKinley Research Group also completed a study on the Economic Benefits of Bristol Bay Salmon. In 2022, Bristol Bay's sockeye run was the biggest on record with 79 million fish returning! Key findings from the study include:
- An estimated 50% of the harvested Bristol Bay salmon moves through ports in Puget Sound
- Significant numbers of Washington, Oregon, and California residents participate in the Bristol Bay salmon fishery. These fishermen earned $152 million in ex-vessel value in 2019. Earnings by Washington permit holders accounted for 77% of that total value!
- The indirect and induced impacts of the Bristol Bay salmon fishery in the Pacific Northwest are estimated at approximately 7,700 annualized jobs, labor income of approximately $370 million, and $1 billion in total economic output
- The bulk of maritime shipping — both northbound for the transport of fishing gear, processing supplies, fuel, and other necessary industry inputs, and southbound for the transport of seafood — runs through the Puget Sound region
- Many of the seafood processing companies that do business in Bristol Bay operate corporate headquarters or major corporate offices in Washington, and many employees of those companies relocate to Bristol Bay during the fishing season. These include major seafood companies such as North Pacific Seafoods, Icicle and Ocean Beauty Seafoods (recently combined to OBI Seafoods), Peter Pan Seafood, Trident Seafoods, Alaska General Seafoods, and Leader Creek Fisheries, as well as several smaller companies
The future is bright
Lyles said he is super excited about the future of the fishing and seafood industry thanks to investments by companies, sustainability initiatives, and practices which make the North Pacific the best managed fishery in the world.
“We’re proud to give the fishing fleet a home,” said Lyles. “If you enjoy incredibly fresh, wild caught Alaskan seafood at your family’s dinner table or at your favorite restaurant, you can thank the fishers of the North Pacific Fishing Fleet based in Seattle.”
To highlight the local fishing industry and promote great eating with seafood, the Seattle Propeller Club, Port of Seattle, and our fishing industry partners join together for Seafood 101, which celebrates the journey from sea to market to table.
About the Seattle Propeller Club
The Seattle Propeller Club is the largest and most diverse maritime business associations in Seattle. The Club promotes maritime commerce in the Puget Sound region with monthly networking events, raises funds to support maritime nonprofit organizations, and supports initiatives that enhance the vitality of the industry. The Maritime Festival, Seattle Maritime Matters, and Seafood 101 campaigns are produced by the Seattle Propeller Club. The Seattle Propeller Club has recently been awarded the 2022 International Propeller Club Port of the Year for their support and contributions to the maritime community.
- To learn more, visit The Seattle Propeller Club’s website
*All photos copyright Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association
