Saving Seafood

LORI STEELE: Safeguarding Oregon’s Sustainable Seafood Industry: DEQ urged to reconsider unachievable permits

August 21, 2023 — Oregon’s coast boasts the heart of our commercial fishing industry, renowned for its delectable, sustainable seafood that attracts nearly 30 million visitors annually.

The bustling waterfronts not only offer picturesque scenery but also serve as vital economic hubs, providing generational fishing families with a market to deliver their catch and distribute Oregon’s seafood nationwide and across the globe.

As proud stewards of the marine ecosystem, Oregon’s seafood industry has worked diligently for over a century to foster a sustainable environment, supporting thriving communities and vibrant coastal economies. However, our seafood industry now faces a critical challenge.

Read the full opinion piece at the North Coast Citizen

Commercial fish and seafood workers rally against wind farms on the Oregon coast

May 12, 2022 — Commercial fish and seafood workers rallied along the Coos Bay boardwalk on Tuesday taking a stand against proposed wind farms that are slated for the Southern Oregon coast.

The rally was hosted on the second day of an “Offshore Wind Industry Fly-In” held just down the street at the Mill Casino. The industry conference, hosted by three non-profits with missions dedicated to developing energy along the pacific and Oregon coast, is described as an event that “will bring leadership from the floating offshore wind industry to the coast of Oregon for direct engagement with state and local leadership,” with the goal of “charting the course for Oregon’s first 3 gigawatts of offshore energy.”

This comes less than two weeks after the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced its call areas in Brookings and Coos Bay for offshore energy projects it has been in talks with Oregon about. Tickets for the five-day fly-in event were sold for between $1000 and $1500.

One of the rally’s organizers, Lori Steele, executive director of the West Coast Seafood Processors Association said the event was, at least in part, held as a way to show energy companies and leaders at the conference that “there’s already a very, very big industry here for seafood and fishing,” and that “we are here to stay.”

Read the full story at KMTR

Progressive and export-dependent: Oregon is a test for Democrats on trade

April 25, 2022 — Democrats’ conflicting impulses over the future of U.S. trade policy are playing out here in the nation’s Pacific Northwest.

Oregon, in particular, embodies the tension: The state’s economy is highly dependent on free trade and yet its progressive-leaning voters are typically skeptical of its benefits. That tug-of-war is vexing both parties as lawmakers weigh how much to push for more foreign market access for U.S. companies and investors despite the potential for political backlash.

In his visit to Portland late last week, President Joe Biden touted his administration’s investments in ports, airports and other infrastructure projects to speed the movement of goods, while at the same time acknowledging that snarled supply chains have sparked historic inflation.

“All across Oregon, we’re sending the message: These ports and airports are open for more business,” Biden told the crowd at Portland International Airport.

While back home in Oregon last week, [Sen. Ron] Wyden joined [U.S. Trade Representative Katherine] Tai and Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) on tours of a commercial fishing vessel and semiconductor development facility. The trio heard from seafood industry groups who say they’re being bested on the global market by Chinese rivals who have been accused of overfishing waterways, taking government subsidies and using forced labor.

“On a good day, we struggle to gain a competitive edge in the marketplace,” said Lori Steele, executive director of the West Coast Seafood Processors Association. “Our days have not been good lately.”

Read the full story at Politico

Skeptics of sea otter reintroduction getting organized on Pacific Coast

August 17, 2021 — Sea otters are undeniably cute, but cuteness only goes so far when major economic interests are at stake. That’s an inference you can make from the emergence of organized pushback to the possible reintroduction of sea otters along the Oregon Coast.

A trade group, the West Coast Seafood Processors Association, enlisted 24 maritime interests to sign on to a letter expressing grave concerns about bringing back sea otters. Some of the signatories include the ports of Ilwaco, Astoria, Newport, Coos Bay and Brookings, the Pacific Coast Shellfish Growers and Columbia River crab fishermen.

“We’re hoping to get ahead of the curve here and get something on the record,” said Lori Steele, executive director of the Portland-based WCSPA.

In the letter sent to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service last week, the skeptics said the voracious appetite of sea otters would put the furry animals in conflict with fishermen and shellfish harvesters. The letter also raised red flags about the prospect of permitting difficulties for port projects, dredging and offshore wind farms if another protected marine mammal species were present.

Read the full story at KNKX

WCSPA Lists Dozens of “Serious Issues” USF&W Must Address in Feasibility Report on Sea Otters

August 16, 2021 — West Coast Seafood Processors Association (WCSPA) and 24 seafood processors, ports, and fishing associations sent a letter to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife providing a long list of considerations before the agency signs off on a feasibility study about re-introducing sea otters to the waters off of northern California and Oregon.

“This is a serious issue that requires serious thought and consideration,” Lori Steele, executive director of the WCSPA, said. “The Fish and Wildlife Service must conduct a comprehensive analysis of the potential effects and consequences of reintroduction. In this letter, we have asked the pertinent questions, and we expect the Service to provide thorough answers when it releases its study.”

Read the full story at Seafood News

Skeptics of sea otter reintroduction getting organized on Pacific Coast

August 13, 2021 — Sea otters are undeniably cute, but cuteness only goes so far when major economic interests are at stake. That’s an inference you can make from the emergence of organized pushback to the possible reintroduction of sea otters along the Oregon Coast.

A trade group, the West Coast Seafood Processors Association, enlisted 24 maritime interests to sign on to a letter expressing grave concerns about bringing back sea otters. Some of the signatories include the ports of Ilwaco, Astoria, Newport, Coos Bay and Brookings, the Pacific Coast Shellfish Growers and Columbia River crab fishermen.

“We’re hoping to get ahead of the curve here and get something on the record,” said Lori Steele, executive director of the Portland-based WCSPA.

In the letter sent to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service last week, the skeptics said the voracious appetite of sea otters would put the furry animals in conflict with fishermen and shellfish harvesters. The letter also raised red flags about the prospect of permitting difficulties for port projects, dredging and offshore wind farms if another protected marine mammal species were present.

“Our message to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is really, proceed with caution and be extremely thoughtful about potential impacts of this before doing anything,” Steele told the Port of Astoria Commission during its most recent meeting.

Read the full story at KLCC

USDA Helps Struggling Pacific Seafood Industry With Historic Purchase

May 14, 2021 — The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced a first-time purchase of several West Coast seafood products for its food assistance programs.  The news is being well received by the regional seafood industry.

Over the past year, the nationwide closure of restaurants has caused a 70 percent drop in the seafood market, according to Lori Steele.  She’s executive director for the West Coast Seafood Processors Association, which represents Oregon, Washington, and California.

Now Steele says out of $160 million the USDA is using to buy domestic products, $17 million will go towards seafood commercially harvested on the West Coast.

“The exciting part is they want to purchase all three of the products that we requested:  Pink shrimp, rock fish, and whiting,” adds Steele. “$17 million is a really great start to this relationship.”

Read the full story at KLCC

After Year Of Pandemic, Seafood Industry Hopes 2021 Brings Calmer Waters

April 1, 2021 — April 1 is the start of pink shrimp season across the Pacific Coastline. Seafood industry officials hope it’s one that’ll offset the pandemic’s effects on markets that began a year ago.

The West Coast Seafood Processors Association represents companies in Oregon, Washington, and California. Executive director, Lori Steele, said last year at this time, the COVID-19 pandemic froze customer demand practically overnight.  She said demand from restaurants fell more than 70%, so hopefully 2021 will see a rebound.

“The more that we can support the restaurant industry, and get consumers back out to the coast and eating seafood we’re going to see some improvements,” Steele told KLCC.

“But I also think that we are also be dealing with the economic consequences of this pandemic beyond just 2021, unfortunately.”

Read the full story at KLCC