ANACORTES, Wash. — October 24, 2013 — U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell visited boat manufacturer Dakota Creek Industries on Thursday afternoon for a tour and to watch construction on a vessel that could change the fishing industry.
Although construction has been slow going on the new 191-foot longline fishing vessel for Seattle-based Blue North Fisheries, the visit did allow Cantwell to see manufacturing workers on the job site, a healthy side effect of legislation passed in 2010 that changed the way Alaskan freezer longline fisheries operate.
"I feel like we're moving forward with the right strategy (for fisheries) and the right vessels," said Cantwell, D-Wash. "And it's going to help the local economy. There's a lot of manufacturing jobs, a lot of hard hats out there working on this project."
Dakota Creek Vice President Mike Nelson said when the project is fully underway, it will represent about 100 on-site positions.
The $36 million F/V Blue North is the third vessel commissioned in Pacific Northwest shipyards designed to take full advantage of the legislation.