Seattle Press on Line - Fishers, Others Protest Port Decision to Allow Yachts at Fishermen's Terminal

Fishers, Others Protest Port Decision to Allow Yachts at Fishermen's Terminal

By Jo Bailey and Carl Nyberg

Miles Sundin at the January 8 hearing. Jo Bailey photo.

Jan 17, 2002 -- Beginning this summer, Fishermen's Terminal in Seattle will be open to pleasure boaters seeking moorage.

Although the decision was adamantly opposed by many fishers, the Port commissioners voted unanimously on January 8 to allow the terminal, historically and traditionally home to the North Pacific fishing fleet since the early 1900s, to admit yachts.

The Port's Fishermen's Terminal Advisory Committee was also opposed to the plan.

Commissioners cited the need to fill the 30 percent vacancy rate at the terminal, but said fishers would have priority over yachts for moorage slips.

Nearly 30 fishermen and others testified against the plan at the January 8 meeting, and it was clear that there was a lack of trust--a disconnect and an anger in the audience--between the five commissioners and the workers. Several argued that allowing pleasure boats to moor at the terminal is the first step to getting rid of fishing boats entirely.

One fishermen's group, headed by gillnetter Pete Knutson, plans to launch an initiative campaign for a public vote to override the commission.

"The fishing industry is not dead, and it is not feasible that you will not support the industry," he told commissioners. "The fish habitat is rebuilding, the Port should help us fight farm salmon." With that he gave a bumper sticker to Port Chief Executive Officer Mic Dinsmore which read, "Jesus was a gillnetter."

Philip Wohlstetter, president of Allied Arts, suggested that commissioners keep the facility as a working terminal. "Don't customize it to fit the yachts," he said. "Keep recreational vessels temporary and don't physically alter the terminal for them. Make sure the fishermen have the first rights to moor. But boats could intermingle on the same dock if recreational vessels moor at vacant fish boat slips," he said. "Don't have segregated docks. This idea needs open, democratic planning to determine what the community wants."

Paul Loeb at the January 8 hearing. Jo Bailey photo

Fisherman Bret Barnecut, as outspoken as Knutson against the plan, called the Port of Seattle "slum lords" who have failed to maintain Fishermen's Terminal which has fallen into disrepair, meanwhile subsidizing cruise ships at the Bell Street Pier. He noted that the Port spent $200 million on the cruise terminal, but did not include a sewage hook-up, so that sewage is dumped directly into waters between here and Alaska, waters where fishermen catch their fish.

"The Port of Seattle gives free rent to multi-billion dollar cruise ship lines, while driving out an elderly fisherman who got behind in his moorage," Barnecut said, to applause from the audience. "This is a malicious attempt to drive us off."

Commissioners are considering spending $520,00 to hire outside professional services to investigate the feasibility of developing a second cruise facility at Terminal 91.

John Foss, seafood buyer at the Madison Market co-op, said, "Everybody hates a class war and this is what we have here. Small fishers shouldn't be driven out. It looks like the next 20 years will be favorable conditions for local fishers. I question why the Port would spend $520,00 for a second cruise terminal when the cruise industry is on the downside and fisheries is on an upswing."

"There is a profound disconnect between the collegiality of Commissioners and those who work at or for the Port," said Paul Loeb, port critic. He cited anger in the audience, that fishermen were not represented on the task force which proposed opening Fishermen's Terminal to yachts. "The Port finds resources for the big stuff while humans are expendable. The Port doesn't listen," he added.

Bob Alverson, president of the Fishing Vessels Owners Association and a member of Fishermen's Terminal Advisory Committee, said he supports the plan and recommends bringing in recreational boats. "Port policies do give fishermen preference in mooring at the terminal," he said.

Fishers originally hoped that newly elected commissioner Lawrence Molloy might vote against the plan, but he joined the others in the unanimous vote. He did, however, propose an amendment that would re-affirm the Port's intent is to keep Fishermen's Terminal fishing-focused.

"I don't think the Port handled this whole thing well," Molloy said. "No one from the Port was at the Highliner Pub at the terminal the night the fishers discussed the plan to add yachts to the terminal."

No one apparently has checked with pleasure boaters to see if they would really like to moor at the terminal.

Lawrence Molloy, the newest Port Commission board member, at the January 8 hearing. Jo Bailey photo

Spending Port Profits on Multinational Corporations

A contingent of recently laid off Port dockworkers and community supporters also attended the January 8 commission meeting, adding their criticism of Port policies to those of the fishers.

The dockworkers, about 35 crane mechanics and electricians, were laid off on January 14. Port Commissioners announced last fall they would privatize those jobs by turning public control of crane maintenance over to Stevedoring Services of America (SSA), a multinational corporation. SSA reportedly has operations in over 150 worldwide locations receiving World Bank loans.

The Rev. Dr. William Cate, a representative from the Church Council of Greater Seattle, said he supported a recommendation that the Port be more accountable to the needs of all citizens and not turn over public jobs to private corporations.

"The Port should show more consideration to the needs of the human community," he said. "There is a growing human need in this region--the Port should give back to the community."

Dr. Cate was instrumental in initiating the first food banks in the area to help those out of work in the Boeing downturn 31 years ago.

Dr. Cate also supports "Port Profits for Human Needs Campaign" which is urging the Port to share profits to help offset the King County budget deficit which resulted in slashing millions of dollars in basic services to those most in need. The Campaign asserts that the Port receives $35.6 million in taxes from King County taxpayers annually. It also claims that the Port budget showed $67 million profit in 2000 and projects an increase in that for 2001.

The Campaign said in 1992-1994, the California Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach returned 25 percent of their net revenues to their respective cities to assist with their budget crisis.

Miles Sundin, a laid off crane electrician, asked commissioners why they were privatizing operations. "If the true cost of crane maintenance is not known by the Port in your own statements, why are you turning public work over to a private company to save money? The community knows the Port of Seattle is not for working people."

Dave Personius, a marine electrician, said there was a connection between Fishermen's Terminal and the crane operators. "Fishermen's Terminal should stay a working man's terminal. We're all working people on the waterfront. We built Seattle. Don't forget us," he said.

Todd Lincoln, a crane maintenance worker who lost his family wage job in the privatization move, brought his small daughter Cecilia to the hearing.

"You've squeezed us out and that will also happen to the fishermen," he said in an emotion-filled voice.

Commissioner Molloy said he was not satisfied about the crane maintenance workers issue. He was greeted with loud applause from the audience--many of whom worked to elect him--when he said, "I'm not clear what's happening here. "I'm committed to the Port not losing jobs. This was not resolved in a clean manner."

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