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State of Oregon Seafood Commissions
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| Salmon |
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The Oregon Salmon Commission was created by an act of the Oregon Legislature in 1983. The commission´s primary functions are marketing and promotion of Oregon Salmon, and the commitment to a sustainable industry for generations to come. The Oregon Department of Agriculture appoints nine commissioners from the industry to oversee the commission´s activities. The Oregon commercial salmon industry is made up of fishermen and women—many of them third and fourth generation boat owners—who operate small, independent businesses.
Oregon Salmon are caught using the ocean trolling method of fishing. Ocean trolling boats drag lines with lures or bait, hooking and landing each fish individually. The fish are cleaned immediately and then packed on ice for delivery. The trolling fleet has two main components: trip boats and day boats. Trip boats range between 30 and 65 feet in length. Typical trips are three to five days at sea with a crew of one or two people. Day boats are usually smaller, running 20 to 30 feet in length. They fish closer to port, returning each day, often crewed by solitary fishermen and women. The number of permits and vessels is limited to 1,200 statewide. Most ocean trolling is done within 25 miles of shore. The 2004 salmon season runs from March 15 through October 31, reflecting one of the longest seasons Oregon has seen in recent years.
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| Dungeness Crab |
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The Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission (ODCC) was created by an act of the Oregon Legislature in 1977. The commission´s mission is to enhance the image of Oregon´s Dungeness crab industry, and to increase opportunities for profitability through promotion, education and research. The Oregon Department of Agriculture appoints seven commissioners from the industry to oversee the commission´s activities. Like the salmon industry, Oregon´s commercial Dungeness crab industry is made up of fishermen and women—many of them third and fourth generation boat owners—who operate small, independent businesses.
Dungeness crabs are caught in circular steel traps call "pots." The pots are baited with squid and razor clams to attract the bottom-dwelling crabs. The average boat fishes 300–500 pots in depths ranging from 300 to 600 feet. The Oregon Dungeness crab fleet ranges from small wooden trollers with two-person crews, to the large steel combination vessels with four-person crews, capable of fishing around the clock for extended periods of time. The number of permits and vessels is limited to approximately 450 statewide. The annual Dungeness crab season runs from December 1 to August 14, with the peak harvest occurring during the first eight weeks of the season.
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| Trawl |
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The Oregon Trawl Commission (OTC) is under the umbrella of the ODA Commodity Commissions Program. The commission was formed by a vote of the producers in 1962, and is funded entirely by fishermen from a percentage of their catch. OTC is made up of eight commissioners: five fishermen, one processor, one distributor and one public member. Commissioners are chosen from among the owners and captains of trawl vessels, processors and distributors by the director of the Oregon's Department of Agriculture.
The Oregon trawl fleet is composed of approximately 100 vessels that range from 40 feet for a beach trawler, to over 120 feet for a whiting mid-water trawler. The vessels average between 60 to 75 feet in length and consist mostly of family-owned businesses that operate with a crew of three, including one captain and two crewmembers.
The Oregon trawl fleet harvests many different species, including rockfish, whiting, sole and shrimp. Trawlers are fishing boats that use nets rather than hook and line or traps, and they are made up of two basic types: conventional single rig (one net) groundfish trawlers and double rig (two nets) shrimp trawlers.
Trawl nets appear like funnels that are towed by the boat. Trawlers fish most often with nets that ride along the ocean bottom. Other gear used by trawlers includes mid-water nets, which can be towed at various depths between the surface and the bottom. Shrimp nets—towed two at a time—ride along the ocean bottom, and differ from other trawl nets by their small mesh size and the use of by-catch reduction devices (called the Oregon Grate) that reduce by-catch to almost zero.
Shrimpers work from April 1 to the end of October, and make most of their catch at depths of 60 to 100 fathoms (360-600 feet). Groundfish trawlers work year round and operate under a system of quotas and period limits for all of the species that they harvest. Fishing trips last from a few hours to three or four days, and the fish are caught in water depths of five or six fathoms to as deep as 700 fathoms.
Together, shrimp and groundfish trawlers land 70 to 80 percent of all seafood in Oregon, accounting for about 55 percent of the state's ex-vessel value (the price fishermen receive for their catch). Over the last 10 years, Oregon trawlers caught an average of 95.5 million pounds of shrimp and fish, earning the fleet a yearly average of $31,458,077.
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| Albacore Tuna |
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In 1999, the Albacore Commission became the state's 29th and newest commodity commission. The commission's mission is to provide opportunities for albacore tuna promotion, consumer education and research.
Albacore are plentiful in waters off Oregon in the summer and fall. The population is strong and healthy. Albacore is the all "white" tuna and is more delicately flavored and lighter in color than tuna labeled as "light." The nutritional value of Albacore is well documented. It is the highest in Omega 3 fatty acids of most all fish. Oregon's coastal albacore are young fish and do not have the high levels of mercury found in the bigger, older fish used primarily by the major large canners. Mercury contamination is not a concern for Oregon's young coastal fish.
This is a troll fishery and albacore are caught exclusively with hook and line. The fishery is comprised mainly of vessels that are owned and operated by fishing families. Fish destined for restaurants and consumers are bled and quickly chilled in ice or frozen at sea to maintain the highest quality. In the past, most of the catch was canned (Starkist, Bumblebee and Chicken of the Sea) and sold as premium white meat tuna. Not so anymore—now many fishermen and buyers have been diversifying into new markets and product forms. Oregon is becoming known for its micro-canneries with very high quality custom canned albacore in demand across the nation. Albacore also is showing up as an outstanding fresh product to be found in some of our white tablecloth restaurants offering albacore steak. Consumers have learned that albacore steak right off the grill can't be beat. It is a highlight of many people's summer activities to travel to the Oregon coast and buy fresh albacore directly from fishermen.
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