When Oregon shrimp fisherman Nick Edwards sent me pictures of his boat and catch for the Market Report by our North Pacific Bureau Chief Charlie Ess (page 4), he tossed in a few pics of some spectacular shrimp cocktails he had apparently whipped together for a party at his brother’s vineyard. I began to wonder how popular his family must be with easy access to fresh fish and local wine.
Although the 2019 Oregon shrimp season wasn’t quite as productive as 2018 (down 9 million pounds and $7 million year over year), it was still a strong showing for the fishery with good signs to come for 2020 if the local markets can support the fleet.
The people who help most with that catch besides the commercial crews just may be
the netmakers. Sara and John Skamser run FoulweatherTrawl in Newport, Ore., and
have been hard at it for 40 years.Their work contributed to the significant bycatch reduction efforts of the pink shrimp fleet. Read Boats & Gear Editor Paul Molyneaux’s profile of the Skamsers and their trawl net tech on page 15.
While the pink shrimp fishery is certainly facing some challenges with the 2020 season, for the Yager family in Newport, nothing can compare to the night of Feb. 27, 2019, when their family boat, the F/V B.J.Thomas caught fire at the docks.The boat launched this spring, renamed the Dauntless, and ready for the 2020 pink shrimp season. Read the full story on page 24.
Download On Deck in the Pacific Northwest & Alaska: Winter 2020
