The press release mentioned that old halibut fusing vessels are among some of the top-grossing boats in a commercial harvest that has seen rules change and prices soar. In 1911, Tordenskjold, a 75-foot schooner hewed from old-growth fir, left the Ballard, Wash., docks for its first season of halibut fishing off Alaska.
Today, the Tordenskjold runs on diesel and the dories are long gone. But this boat still heads north each spring to join in a halibut harvest that over the last century has helped establish Ballard as a hub of the North American fishing industry. The legendry ship was prepared for its 99th season last week, the boat joined six other fishing schooners for a rare fleet parade through Lake Union, the Ballard Locks and out into Puget Sound.
These old halibut fishing ships, despite their age, are some of the top-grossing boats in the North Pacific commercial halibut harvest. This year’s U.S. catch will probably be worth about $160 million, with Washington fishermen, largely based in Puget Sound, expected to claim nearly 30 percent of the fish. Jane Lubchenco, a U.S. Commerce Department undersecretary, said that from Florida to Alaska, catch-share programs help fishing communities provide good jobs while rebuilding and sustaining healthy fisheries.
