What it really means to our Community
This situation is like a very large tree, whose roots run deep into our community, and when the tree encounters a wind storm, we all feel it. It is not just fishermen and fishing families who are experiencing the storm. Reduced harvest means less fuel purchased at the fuel docks, less ice purchased for onboard fish storage, less fish processing, and less purchases at the local marine supply store. Fishing dependent businesses can also suffer severe losses during a fisheries disaster. Not only is their ability to support themselves threatened, but their ability to support our community is often lost. A severe loss in revenue means that they won’t be supporting the little league team this year, or donating merchandise to a charity auction. But again, this is not where it ends. Reduced personal income means less eating out, less entertainment purchases, purchasing only the bare essential back to school supplies, and holding off on buying that new truck. Our local non-fishing related businesses also feel the crunch. Reduced personal income, often cut in half, also sends many fishing and fishing related families to rely on local non-profits and governmental agencies for support and assistance. Organizations like food share, housing authorities, and job re-training programs can have a sudden rise in the amount of people requesting help. This causes an increased burden to these organizations, which are often financially and resource strapped to begin with. The windstorm continues its path into each of our lives, someway and somehow, and whether we realize the connection to fishing or not.
The connection is there, sometimes its right in front of us, and sometimes it’s a few feet under, it’s just a matter of angles. The salmon disaster outside of itself can be another disaster or an opportunity. An opportunity for our community to use our strength, problem solving, and cohesiveness to support the people that need supporting and to rise above the storm rather than riding it out.
Since early in the 2006 salmon season, some resources have been made available to fishermen and their families who have been affected by the Disaster declared earlier this year. So far the State Emergency Board has allotted $1 million in direct payments to salmon permit holders. Those funds have been handled by the Oregon Department of Agriculture. The Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board received $2 million to provide temporary, family wage jobs to fishermen and families who owned, operated, or crewed on a salmon vessel in the years 2004, 2005, or 2006. So far there have been five local people hired and more jobs are expected to come up soon.
State resources are also available; the Department of Human Services offers food stamps to individuals and families who qualify under the income guidelines, there may also be additional help for those with children in the household, and the Employment Department has services available to anyone who may be looking for a new career or simply a job to get them through. In the same building as those services Community Services Consortium offers job training programs funded by federal dollars.
There are also a number of local resources. Lincoln County was able to assist many local fishermen with their moorage payments in September. The county also has a Health Clinic with a sliding pay scale. Tanya Scroggins, County Port Outreach Worker is available to the fleet as well. Other resources in our community are Progressive Options, Salvation Army, churches, and of course Newport Fishermen’s Wives.
Again, I invite you to contact me for applications or question on anything I’ve outlined here, or if there are other services you might be needing; Jen Wimpress (541)264-0614
P.O. Box 971
Newport, OR 97365
541-574-5555