Fishing

The push comes after multiple failed attempts to put further animal protections into state law.

Initiative petition 28 did not have enough valid signatures, elections officials determined.

Oregon’s valuable commercial Dungeness crab fishery has seen significant changes in recent years as the state looks to minimize and monitor whale entanglements involving gear used in the fishery.

Mental Health Awareness Month also draws attention to Oregon’s overall suicide rate, which is 50% higher than the national rate.

Rising diesel prices are not just squeezing fishermen, but the fishing industry across the Pacific Northwest. It’s cutting into profits and adding new uncertainty to an already volatile business.

Oregon-based Pacific Seafood is one of the largest seafood companies in the U.S., with locations up and down the West Coast.

Last year, the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians petitioned the Oregon State Marine Board to impose a motorized boat ban on the upper Siletz river in Lincoln County. The board is expected to issue a temporary rule at its meeting in early April, ahead of a series of public meetings.

Whale entanglements are becoming more common along the west coast of the United States, with NOAA Fisheries reporting as many as three dozen confirmed sightings in 2024.

Advocates for Oregon’s fishing industry say cuts to the federal workforce and global trade tensions could hurt a sector already contending with low domestic demand.

A few Oregon Coast lawmakers have asked the state to consider educating children about the fishing industry and serving local seafood in public schools.

Fishermen with callused hands and vise-like grips worked steadily along Newport’s docks this week to prepare boats and gear in a final push before the opening of Oregon’s 2024-25 commercial Dungeness crab season.

High schoolers turn the tide on coastal Oregon's seafood workforce in new program