Maritime Economy

Published on: June 26, 2018

Washington State Pilotage Act Celebration

The 150-year anniversary of the Washington Pilotage Act was celebrated last week at the Northwest Maritime Center in Port Townsend, Washington. Elected officials Patty Murray, Maria Cantwell, Kevin Van De Wege and Mayor Deborah Stinson were all in attendance.

Mayor Stinson welcomed all pilots to the Northwest Maritime Center and praised them for their leadership in safeguarding our state’s maritime economy as well as the environmental health of our waterways.

According to historian Alice Alexander, the original pilotage program was created in 1868 by a territorial act. It was later repealed, then replaced with the Puget Sound Pilots organization, which requires all foreign vessels traveling in the Puget Sound and adjacent waters that engaged in foreign trade, have professional piloting services. This requirement was initiated to protect Puget Sound waterways against loss of life, loss or damage to vessels or property, and to protect the environment.

Published on: April 25, 2017

Fisheries Observer Program Goes High-Tech

by Joseph Stacey

Commercial fishermen are familiar with the Fisheries Observer Program. Launched in 1972 by NOAA, there are between 450 and 1000 observers working on commercial fishing vessels alongside fishermen collecting data at any given time. They are trained scientists (often marine biologists) who collect information that is used to estimate stock levels, protect endangered species, and manage fisheries. Data obtained includes:

• estimates of catch and discards

• biological sampling of the catch

Published on: December 3, 2013

The Washington State Maritime Cluster Economic Impact Study – Washington State Maritime Industry – $30 Billion in 2012 Revenues

by Lysander Johnson

Community Attributes, a Seattle-based research firm, has just released their “Washington State Maritime Cluster Economic Impact Study.” Maritime history in our region, most notably fishing and trade, began when the first people settled here many thousands of years ago, followed by European and American expansion, and since then, we’ve experienced an infusion of cultural influence from around the world, creating a background for success.

While there is no question that our maritime industry is deep-rooted and essential to the economy of Washington State, this past May, the Economic Development Council (EDC) of Seattle and King County issued their “Request for Proposals for a Maritime Industry Economic Impact and Cluster Analysis for the Puget Sound Region and Washington State” in order to collect and provide facts supporting the importance of maritime industry here.

The task of Community Attributes, which was awarded the research work, was to identify and assess the contributions of the maritime industry and its connections with the community, as well as its economic impact and growth potential based on qualified, quantifiable data. The study requirements included:
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