February 11, 2026
Last December, as king tides pushed waves over Westport’s seawall and nudged seawater onto nearby roads, Washington Sea Grant (WSG) hosted a successful first Washington Fishermen’s Convention.
The Washington Fishermen’s Convention aimed to celebrate and unify the state’s diverse fishing industry, gathering longtime, new and aspiring fishermen to network, share lessons learned, and break bread together. From December 4-5, attendees took part in Drill Instructor and Fishermen First Aid and Safety Training, led by WSG fisheries specialist Robert Maw. December 6 and 7 were dedicated to a conference whose agenda was specially tailored to a fishing audience. Speakers ranged from fisheries management experts to fishermen whose families have fished for generations, and speaking sessions were interspersed with interactive meet-and-greets, coffee breaks, and Q&As to keep the energy high.
The Convention was made possible by funding from the Young Fishermen’s Development Program. As the West Coast fishing industry experiences declines in the workforce, aspiring fishermen need specialized technical skills and knowledge to enter the industry and be successful. WSG is working to improve access to commercial fishing careers for new and young individuals through programs like the Convention and the Skills & Drills technical training, held for the first time in early 2025. These programs aim to prepare the next generation for careers in commercial fishing while fostering valuable networking opportunities among both newcomers and experienced fishermen.
“Our commercial fishermen are an important part of Washington’s maritime culture, and we need more of them,” says Bridget Trosin, WSG fisheries and boating team lead.
Technical training was a centerpiece of Convention programming. During the first aid and safety course, students learned to quickly don survival suits and put them to the test by plunging into the icy water of Westport Marina. Maw, a commercial fisherman himself, also enlisted a conference attendee to demonstrate the deployment of a life raft during one of the programming breaks, and led a hands-on knot-tying lesson on day two.
WSG fisheries specialist Robert Maw (left) led a demonstration of a life raft deployment during the conference.
Some attendees found the networking aspects of the Convention to be most meaningful. “Fishing was never on my radar,” admitted an attendee who came to learn more about the industry. “But I feel I could sit at a table with anyone in this room and go back and forth, which is something really valuable. Listening to everybody’s individual experience, how they do it, why they do it, what the environment means to them…it’s helping me focus down into a field and an industry where I can really fit in.”
Conference attendees broke into rotating small groups for a meet-and-greet networking session.
The atmosphere was welcoming. Longtime fishermen readily shared about their experiences on the sea, their tone realistic yet positive for those looking to break in. “One of the most rewarding things is seeing what you’re capable of,” said Brannon Finney, fisher and captain of the FV Alaskan Girl. “Like saving a 1.5 million pound season after a boat caught on fire. You have to be headstrong and positive. We have each other, we have a boat, we have a job to do. If there’s a problem, we’re going to solve it, because we must.” Asked what they love about their jobs, a panel of experienced fishermen made a list: the sunsets, conquering huge waves, watching a crab pot boil up to the water’s surface; getting paid to do something people pay to do.
As one panelist noted, “It’s a rewarding life.”
A panel of working fishermen weighed in on their experiences and took questions from attendees.
Rep. Emily Randall of Washington’s 6th Congressional District joined the conference portion of the event for a fireside chat on day two. “I was fortunate to attend the inaugural Fishermen’s Conference to highlight the vital role our fishing community plays in putting food on our tables and supporting our local economy,” she wrote on Facebook. Other attendees included a fisherman who happened to enter one of the Convention venues looking for breakfast. Informed that he had stumbled upon a fishermen’s conference, he agreed to attend and ended up staying for the rest of the event, even contributing his thoughts to roundtable discussions.
“Seeing the fishing industry come together was powerful and inspiring,” said Jenna Keeton, WSG fisheries specialist. “Fishing is an occupation where one has to not only know how to fish and work as a team, but also have skills in business and finance and understand science, contracts and more. This conference offered a wide variety of training opportunities to support our region’s fishermen and fisherwomen and promoted the wellbeing of our fishing industry.”
Both the Fishermen’s Convention and the Skills & Drills training will be offered again in coming years, with improvements made from lessons learned during the first sessions. The event and training further WSG’s ongoing work to support Washington’s fishing industry.
“After taking a couple years off from running my boat in wake of the Bristol Bay market crash, attending this conference gave me the faculties I needed to begin again,” said Maeva, captain of the Potential in Bristol Bay. “Every segment of this agenda was curated to supporting me as a captain, and even more than a month after the conference I still am accessing the resources that were provided. It is because of the people who put this conference together that I now have the most qualified crew my vessel has ever seen. If I hadn’t attended this conference, I would have missed out on a whole world of allies I didn’t know existed. A huge thank you to all the folks at Washington Sea Grant and all of those who contributed to making our experience the success it was.”
Westport Marina
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Washington Sea Grant, based at the University of Washington, helps people and marine life thrive through research, technical expertise and education supporting the responsible use and conservation of coastal ecosystems. Washington Sea Grant is one of 34 Sea Grant programs supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in coastal and Great Lakes states that encourage the wise stewardship of our marine resources through research, education, outreach and technology transfer.
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FEB
2026