On September 19-20, 2009, NOAA Fisheries Service scientists had an opportunity to interact with the local fishing industry during the Pacific Commercial Fishermen’s Festival in Astoria, OR.

The commercial fishing industry has shaped this region of the Oregon coast and the people who live here for hundreds of years. Commercial fishing created a boom era for Astoria and other communities that lasted well into this century.

“While the industry has changed dramatically the past few decades, the importance fishing has to this region continues to be a point of pride in how this Northwest coastal community defines itself,” notes Captain Rick Brown (ret.), Resource Management specialist with the OMI Division at the Newport Research Station.

In addition to groundfish and crab, the Columbia River salmon fishery is critical to the local industry. The NWFSC maintains a laboratory at the mouth of the river in Hammond, the Point Adams Research Station, where it bases most of its lower Columbia River Estuary field work together with the Newport Research Station on the Oregon coast. Point Adams scientists Regan McNatt and Dick Ledgerwood, along with Rick Brown from Newport staffed the NOAA Northwest Fisheries Science Center outreach booth during the Festival to inform the guests about all of the salmon research the NWFSC conducts in the River, Plume and California Current. They also highlighted the other science missions of the NWFSC and the NOAA Fisheries Service’s unique FishWatch website, which helps consumers make informed choices about seafood and improve understanding of the management and science requirements involved with building and maintaining sustainable fisheries.

The NMFS Office of Law Enforcement was well represented by Sean Stanley, and agent in Astoria, who assisted at the NOAA outreach booth meeting with the general public and several fishermen.

The Pacific Commercial Fishermen’s Festival is an annual festival designed to showcase the industry and honor those who continue working to bring fresh seafood to our tables in a fun-filled event that brings fishermen, locals and visitors together. Of the 5,000 visitors estimated in attendance, many came by the Northwest Fisheries Science Center table to review the scientific posters and hear about some of the work we are doing, as well as taking the opportunity to express their feeling on a wide range of issues on the fisheries they participate in, such as the interaction of birds and sea lions and catch allocations. The attendees also shared their interest in NOAA’s decision to move the Marine Operations Center-Pacific to Newport, OR.

“Overall, this was a good opportunity for the fishing community of Astoria and the general public to directly interact with our scientists and learn more about NOAA, NMFS and the Northwest Fisheries Science Center,” said Brown.