Tag Archives: Port of Newport
Fishing boats depart for Alaska – Local crabbers begin dropping pots for season opener
A number of the larger commercial fishing boats that call Newport’s Yaquina Bay their home headed out this week for the annual trek to Alaska’s Bering Sea. It can take eight to 10 days for them to make the journey up north, depending on the weather. Boats from Newport will be docking either at Dutch Harbor or Kodiak, where they will be based while fishing for pollack and cod, a fishery that generally lasts for several months. The Port of Newport’s International Terminal was hopping with activity this week as boat owners and their crews made final preparations. In addition to the Alaskan fleet getting ready to head north, local commercial crabbers were busy loading their gear in preparation for the opening of the season this Sunday, Jan. 15. >click to read< 08:40
F/V Western Breeze has been raised
A Newport fishing vessel featured on a spinoff of the documentary series “Deadliest Catch” is back on top of the water, and presumably bound for dry dock, after sinking at the Port Dock 5 fuel dock on Thursday. The Western Breeze is owned by Gary Ripka, who also operates the similarly painted, smaller F/V Redeemer, and in 2016 was featured on the Discovery Channel’s “Deadliest Catch: Dungeon Cove,” a Newport-based spinoff of the Emmy-winning series. Ripka purchased the Western Breeze, previously named Miss Melanie, as a bank repossession and rebuilt it, according to a testimonial on the Oregon Coast Bank website. Photos, >click to read< 07:27
Power to Port Dock 5 has been restored. F/V Western Breeze still on the bottom
12:03pm: Report of someone falling into the Yaquina River at Port Dock 5 in downtown Newport. Fire-Rescue and the Coast Guard are racing to the scene. 12:09pm: Unconfirmed report that a fishing boat leaned over in one direction, tossing occupant(s) into the river. The boat now has no one aboard. Reports from the scene say the boat is the Western Breeze. Photos, >click to read< 12:50
Newport Fishing Vessel sinking at Port Dock 5
At 12:02 PM on Thursday, June 9, 2022, Newport Fire Department was dispatched to a report of vessel sinking at Port Dock 5 on Newport’s Bay front. Upon arrival, units observed a commercial fishing vessel tied up near the fuel dock listing to its port side and sinking in water. After ensuring no lives were at risk, fire crews worked with officials from the Port of Newport and USCG Yaquina Bay to set containment and absorbing buoys around the vessel. The cause of the vessel sinking was under investigation. Representatives of the vessel owner are working with Port of Newport Officials to raise the vessel. >click to read< 19:36
Port of Newport user fees to rise in July
With an eye on inflation and a repeated commitment to improving and maintaining port facilities, Port General Manager Paula Miranda and Director of Finance Mark Brown recommended a seven percent increase across the board, with a few exceptions noted.,, Some new fees were also found on the rate schedule. Vessels that offload squid at Port of Newport facilities will face a wharfage fee connected to the pounds of product that come across the dock. Projections indicate that transient squid boats will arrive in the area in the next month. Port Commissioners voted unanimously to approve the fee schedule. >click to read< 10:29
Port of Newport workers still providing services during coronavirus outbreak
With both agricultural and transportation implications, the Port of Newport is considered part of the country’s critical infrastructure as defined by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. “Although the port is considered an essential public service provider, just like everyone, we had to adjust to the pandemic,” said Paula Miranda, port general manager. That decision-making led to keeping the commercial marina and international terminal operating while closing or significantly limiting some of the recreational facilities. The result is an “all hands on deck” call, to which the staff has responded favorably. “I can’t praise our staff enough,” the general manager said. >click to read< 09:59
Port of Newport nets $1.2 million grant for new pier construction serving the largest commercial fishing fleet in the state.
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced that the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $1.2 million grant to the Port of Newport, Oregon, to support the construction of a new pier, serving the largest commercial fishing fleet in the state. ,, Senator Jeff Merkley also acknowledged the grant funding. >click to read< 07:59
Fishermen bound for Alaska receive prayers
A crowd of people gathered at the Port of Newport International Terminal at noon on Tuesday, Jan. 7, where prayers were offered for local commercial fishermen who are headed this week to Alaska’s Bering Sea. South Beach Church Pastor Luke Frechette called everyone in. “Closer,” he said, as dozens of people — fishermen, their families and their friends — formed a circle. The large fishing vessels, geared up, lined the dock behind them. >click to read< 08:17
Port of Newport may tie moorage increase to upgrades
Faced with a growing stack of infrastructure improvements needed to keep the Port of Newport operational, its management is floating a plan that would tie an increase in commercial moorage directly to electrical upgrades on Port Dock 5 and Port Dock 7. Rates would increase each of three years under a proposal for which the port is now seeking feedback. The money would be a sure source of construction funds rather than the port relying on grants, which are questionable in their availability and how they can be used, said Director of Operations Aaron Bretz. “Other ports are wrestling with the same thing — they’re trying to raise rates and not succeeding and they have these infrastructure needs,” Bretz said. >click to read<18:02
Port of Newport – Trawlers warm to shipping deal
An icy impasse between log shippers and fishermen that clouded the future of the Port of Newport and its new $20 million International Terminal showed signs of a thaw last week. At a meeting of the port’s commercial fishing users on Dec. 20, industry leaders were cautiously optimistic about a new proposal by Teevin Bros. to ship logs from the 500-foot terminal that fishermen claim is indispensable to 28 large vessels of the deepwater fleet based here. >click to read<10:36
Port of Newport evaluation – some good, some not so much
An evaluation audit of the Port of Newport brought up a number of issues that are common knowledge – the main one being it’s all about the Newport International Terminal (NIT) which has been, for a number of years, in various stages of partial completion. The auditor told the Port Commission this month that the port’s income is rather thin because they have haven’t finished the terminal. Money pledged from the federal government wasn’t spent in time because the port didn’t have an operator for the facility. click here to read the story 09:50
Newport’s fishing fleet lays it on the line…
The Port of Newport is home to a diversified commercial fishing industry. Well over 100 commercial fishing vessels are home-ported in Newport and many more transient vessels visit and utilize the Port’s facilities. Newport-based vessels participate in many fisheries and Newport is also home to many of Oregon’s Distant Water Fleet.,,, The International Terminal (IT) is a critical component to Newport’s commercial fishing success. The IT can accommodate large fishing vessels that do not fit at other port facilities. It is not unusual to see 12-15 large trawl vessels moored at the IT between November 1 and January 10th or between April 1 and May 15th. Crab and shrimp boats and trawlers also use the IT heavily to stage and switch gear throughout the year. click here to read the story 12:09
Port of Newport re-assessing access to new International Terminal
Three Newport Port Commissioners got an earful of opinions from local mid-water commercial fishermen Tuesday night down on the Bayfront. Over 80 fishermen showed up at the yachat club to tell the Newport Port Commission that they feel left out of the port’s plans in that the port seems to be focusing on bringing back heavy shipping to Newport at the expense of the Newport fishing fleet, the largest in Oregon and which is a major contributor to the Newport area economy. Fishermen reminded the commission that a promise was made a number of months ago that as the port began negotiations with the shipping industry, scheduling access to the International Terminal would be formulated to serve both the shipping industry and the fishing fleet. click here to read the story 08:49
