Tag Archives: Steve Fick
All hail the king of tuna, Oregon’s prized catch
One of Oregon’s most valuable seafoods is more popular than ever, but its nickname may fool you: chicken of the sea. It’s albacore tuna, and it is a fish that is grounded in Oregon commercial fishing history that reaches back nearly a century ago. Back then, West Coast fishermen went far out to sea in search of the albacore, also known as “chicken of the sea.” Albacore tuna entered Oregon fish markets in the 1930s when Oregon ports from Coos Bay to Astoria were home to large fishing fleets, dozens of canneries and thousands of employees who processed the catch. While Oregon’s large-scale canneries are long gone, albacore fishing techniques haven’t changed much at all, according to Steve Fick of Fishhawk Fisheries. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:55
Imperiled Chinook salmon runs close ocean fishing off California, much of Oregon
The closure currently runs through May 15 and affects a length of the coast stretching from Oregon’s Cape Falcon, near Cannon Beach, south to the Mexican border. And it could be extended, officials said, as the imperiled species struggles amid a long-running drought. Further closures are likely, said Eric Schindler, head of the Oregon Department of Wildlife’s Ocean Salmon Program.“It doesn’t look good for this year or next year, and possibly the year after that, because of the drought conditions in California,” Schindler said. “We have to make sure that we’re not undermining our ability to produce salmon for the next go around.” Video, >click to read< 10:35
Limited salmon numbers, sea lion population making tough season for fishermen
Governor Brown, along with Governor Jerry Brown of California, recently submitted a request to U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross for a declaration of a “catastrophic regional fishery disaster,” and a commercial fishery failure. The request comes after the National Marine Fisheries Service closed the southern half of the Oregon coast to commercial salmon fishing to protect dwindling stocks of Chinook salmon on the Klamath River. “When you look at the Klamath situation, it affects fisheries all up and down the coast,” said Steve Fick, who owns Fishhawk Fisheries in Astoria. Executive Director of the Port of Astoria Jim Knight said the south coast closure will likely mean more fishing boats competing for limited numbers of salmon on the north coast. click here to read the story 08:09
