This month, Oregon-based Pacific Choice Seafoods left their ice plant operations in Del Norte County鈥檚 Harbor District, leaving fishers worried about how they鈥檇 get crucial ice to cool their catch for winter's crab season.
鈥淲ith fewer vessels buying ice, the operations were no longer economically viable,鈥� said Pacific Choice Seafoods director of communications Lacy Ogan.
Although Ogan said environmental regulations had no impact on the decision, Harbormaster Mike Rademaker noted regulatory costs around the plant's ammonia-based freezing process are significant.
鈥淭hat plant... can do maybe 100 tons a day. And unfortunately, the fishing fleet's been declining over the decades,鈥� said Rademaker. 鈥淭hat plant was constructed in 1986 and it was a completely different proposition back then.鈥�
He said that without ice, there鈥檚 a risk of fishermen unloading at another port. Some fishers warned him the harbor could lose 30% of its fleet to another location.
Josh Mims with the said that ice is crucial for the commercial fleet of around 65 boats.
鈥淥ur fishing fleet first relies on ice for our live crab,鈥� said Mims. 鈥淪o the crabs that are sold to the live market, they ice them down so they go dormant [and] they don't tear each other apart during the shipping process.鈥�
But, according to Harbormaster Mike Rademaker, the district has found at least a short-term solution. The plan is to truck ice from Brookings, Oregon, around 25 miles away, in time for crabbing season which is expected to start around Jan.1.
鈥淚'm very confident that we'll have ice for the upcoming fishing season, one way or another,鈥� said Rademaker.
He said the district is looking at federal grants for help and considering taking control of the ice plant. Although he said the economics would be the same for the harbor district as it was for a private company.
鈥淔or us taking over the ice plant as a government agency, it's not going to make economic sense longterm,鈥� said Rademaker. 鈥淚t's just short term to keep the fishing fleet going. But we're going to have the same problems that Pacific [Choice] Seafoods had.鈥�
