NEWPORT – Members of Newport’s commercial crab fleet are a little safer this winter thanks to equipment purchased with more than $50,000 in grants to the Newport Fishermen’s Wives organization.
The nonprofit received $44,925 from the Northwest Oregon Works maritime program and $6,750 from the Siletz Tribal Charitable Activities Fund to purchase safety equipment for Newport-area crabbers.
With the money, Fishermen’s Wives and partner businesses purchased and gave 267 lifejackets to Newport fishermen on 109 commercial vessels.
“Many fishermen said they couldn’t afford a lifejacket without this program, and they were thrilled to have a personal safety item that could travel with them from boat to boat and port to port,” the Newport group said in a Facebook post.
Board member Amelia Vaughan said the group also plans to use some of the money to buy survival suits and safety light beacons for members of the fishing fleet.
Fishermen’s Wives said the success of its program has expanded to similar initiatives on the Oregon coast. The Charleston Fishing Families group recently distributed 116 lifejackets, and the FishHer/Columbia Pacific Community Alliance in Astoria/Ilwaco plans to give out 150 lifejackets in April.
The Northwest Oregon Works’ grant was made possible by 2023 legislation establishing a two-year program to support strategic investments in maritime workforce development and activities.
