Continued Decline

Matt Marincovich once commented that every year, the boats that got more complicated and every year the fish got scarcer. The downward spiral continued through the 1990’s and into the turn of the century. Everett residents owned 32 fishing vessels in 2000. Once a beehive of activity, the Fishermen’s Dock had little going on as of 2010. Some purse seiners and gillnetters remained at the dock. However, the fleet was but a shadow of its glory days. At the time of the Boldt decision, the tribes didn’t have enough commercial boats to catch all they were allowed. Today, they have a sophisticated fleet and support staff. While the Boldt decision had a major impact, many other factors contributed to the demise of the local commercial fishing industry. First, of course, were the dwindling fish runs. Everything was scarcer, especially the premium salmon species. One reason was overfishing. The Department of Fisheries was not a resources manager; its charter was to only manage the fishing industries. In 2008, the salmon declines necessitated reducing the number of fishing days each season and the number of fish that could be kept. Another reason for lower runs was the deterioration of the traditional spawning grounds. Urban sprawl, clearcut logging and the use of fertilizer were among the factors that have compromised the streams and rivers to which the salmon return. Another problem for the industry came from the advent of farmed salmon. Salmon raised in net pens in British Columbia, Norway and Chile sent prices in a downhill spiral. In the 1970’s and 1980s, troll-caught Chinook were selling for $4 to $5 a pound. By the mid-1990s the same fish sold for only $1.60 a pound, because of the competition from the farm fish. The advance in fishing industry technology was double-edged sword; the job was less taxing, but it made it easier to overfish. Too many commercial fishing licenses spurred a governmental program of buying back licenses. Before buybacks, 1,200 purse seiners and 400 gillnetters were registered in the state. In 2006, there were 202 and 75, respectively. Another problem was the expense of the industry. Costs continued to rise for food, fuel, and insurance. Everett lacked the local processors in alter years. The last of these was gone by the 1990’s. Other support businesses for the fleet had moved as well. Treaties with Canada also reduced the size of commercial catch. Crews were paid less and catches were uncertain. Finally, the increasing emphasis on pleasure boating was reducing the space for the fishing fleet. The Everett Yacht Basin, the traditional home of the fishing fleet, was transitioning to a pleasure boat marina.