The Department of Ecology is responding to a report of a small oil spill originating from Fishermen’s Terminal and extending into Salmon Bay. The department told KIRO 7 that it looks to be “tens of gallons,” and investigators have yet to determine where it’s coming from.

An aerial view from KIRO’s helicopter (above) shows a sheen on the water at the Terminal. We’ll update as we learn more.

Friends, family, fishermen and fans of the Discovery Channel show Deadliest Catch gathered at the Smith Cove Cruise Terminal in Magnolia this evening to pay their respects to the late Captain Phil Harris. Harris, 53, died in February after suffering a stroke while offloading crab in Alaska. Harris got his start at Fishermen’s Terminal, becoming captain at 21 years old.

“He was business in the front and party in the back,” said son Josh Harris on stage with his brother Jake. “This is a day to remember, and instead of being sad, it’s time to celebrate the mullet and think of good memories.”

“He gave everybody a lot. Sure you all know what I mean. I miss the guy like crazy,” said an emotional Dan Mittman, Harris’s best friend for 36 years. “He was a great guy. I wish you had all known him as I had.”

The memorial service was streamed live on the Discovery Channel’s website, and it’s available to watch on demand here (it starts about 18 minutes in.) Discovery.com will also stream live from CatchCon, the show’s annual convention, on Saturday beginning at noon, featuring captains Sig Hansen, Johnathan & Andy Hillstrand and Keith Colburn.

Updated 4/22  The Captain of the Northern Belle, which went down Tuesday night in the frigid waters off Alaska, sacrificed himself to save his crew, one of the crewmen says.  You can see the interview with the crewman at our sister site MyBallard here.

Updated 7 a.m. The Coast Guard pulled four fishermen from the frigid Alaska waters after the Seattle-based boat Northern Belle sank on Tuesday evening. Three were suffering from hypothermia, and the fourth was unresponsive and receiving CPR treatment, the Coast Guard said last night. Medics were unable to revive the crewman, who had sustained a head injury while existing the boat, reports the Anchorage newspaper this morning.

A spokesperson said the Coast Guard received a mayday call at 5:30 p.m. that the crew of three men and a woman were abandoning the sinking 75-foot ship. "We have four people on board," said a crewmember on the call. "We are getting in the life raft. We are going down!" (Listen to the mayday call in two audio clips linked from this Coast Guard page.)

A rescue helicopter and HC-130 aircraft, along with a Coast Guard cutter, were dispatched to the scene, 50 miles south of Montague Island (see map). A spokesperson says the crew, wearing survival suits, was pulled from the water at 8 p.m. They were transported to medical personnel in Cordova, Alaska. The three surviving crew are doing well, a hospital spokesperson said.

The Northern Belle is based at Fishermen’s Terminal. You can see a photo of what appears to be the same boat at the terminal here. We’ll update you as we receive new information.

(U.S. Coast Guard photos by Petty Officer Sara Francis. More here.)

For the 82nd straight year, a gathering at Fishermen’s Terminal prayed for the safety of the men and women who harvest fish in the Pacific Northwest. This year, the captain and crew of Ariel received the blessing.

“Be with us now as we consecrate the vessel, Ariel and bless all the labors of those who work at sea,” said Pastor Erik Weiberg from Ballard First Lutheran Church. As is customary, he handed the captain a symbolic flag.

Brian Wartman accepted the flag and handed it to his son and co-captain, Adam, who raised it above the boat. A family operation, Ariel will head to Alaska in June to fish for salmon. Also at today’s ceremony, Mayor Mike McGinn, Rep. Reuven Carlyle, Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles, King County Council Chairperson Bob Ferguson and Port of Seattle Commissioner Bill Bryan.

This was the first time in 21 years that Rev. Malcolm Unseth, who passed away last April, did not conduct the blessing of the fleet. A tile has been placed in his honor at the Fishermen’s Memorial.

One of the names placed among flowers at the base of the memorial is Capt. Phil Harris, best known for his role in “Deadliest Catch.” He died in February after suffering a stroke off-loading crab in Alaska. Fishing is one of the nation’s most dangerous professions, especially here in the Northwest.

This Saturday is the Fall Festival at Fishermen’s Terminal from 11a.m. to 6p.m.  This is the 21st year of this free event that celebrates the return of the North Pacific Fishing fleet to its home base at Fishermen’s Terminal.

The day is packed with activities. Kids will find booths including miniature wooden boat building, fish prints, oyster art,  and a trout pond. 

Here is the schedule for the stages:
11:00 a.m. Salmon and Halibut Fillet Demonstration
12:00p.m. Shifty Sailors
1:00 p.m. Wild Salmon Fillet Competition
2:00 p.m. Lutefisk Eating Contest
3:00 p.m. Awards Ceremony for the Wild Salmon Fillet Competition
3:30 p.m. Oyster Slurp Competition
4:30 p.m. Kontagious Performing Company – Hip Hop Dancing
MAIN STAGE SCHEDULE
11:00 a.m. Sunshine from Polynesia – Traditional Hawaiian Dance Troupe
12:oop.m. J.P. Patches
1:00 p.m. Reptile Man
2:00 p.m. Music by Knut Bell
3:00 p.m. Survival Suit Race
4:00 p.m. Music by the Lost Varnets
6:00 p.m. Raffle, followed by more music by the Lost Varnets

There will also be a chance to donate to the Seattle Fishermen’s Memorial and efforts to honor the local fishing community and their families by purchasing a barbecue salmon meal for $10 that includes corn on the cob, beverage and dessert. There will also be tours of the Sea Star from the Discovery Channel’s Deadliest Catch show for $7.50 with proceeds from the entry fee going to the memorial. 

A large response as fire crews rushed to Fishermen’s Terminal just before 6:30 p.m. for an engine fire in a boat.

The vessel is called, “Wonderland,” and the fire was quickly extinguished.

There was lots of smoke from the fire that was caused by wiring but it was contained before it spread to the main cabin.

The Port of Seattle is going to be doing some work on the sewer line at Fishermen’s Terminal and they passed along this information regarding the project:

Beginning on Monday, May 11, the Port of Seattle and our contractors will be replacing broken and damaged drain lines at Fishermen’s Terminal, under Chinooks Restaurant.  The work will be performed at night to minimize the impact on tenants, customers and the public. The contractor will be generating noise with the use of a high powered (vactor) truck removing the fill material from under the building. To minimize the noise impact, the Port will install temporary sound barriers at the west end of the project area. We expect the barrier to adequately mitigate the sound generated by the equipment.

Please contact delfierro.s@portseattle.org if you have any questions or concerns. The Port aims to be a good neighbor and we will work to resolve any concerns that arise while completing the necessary work.   

Five crew members from a Fishermen’s Terminal-based trawler had a very close call in Alaska early this morning.

Buffeted by 57 mph gusts, the trawler “Mar-Gun” ran aground near St. George Island. According to our sister site My Ballard, a Coast Guard helicopter hovered overhead and pulled the crew to safety: Tim Propst, Dan Hankins, Richard Post, Dan Stanfield and Paul Gore escaped without injury. You can listen to a recording of the mayday call from the ship right here. (Photo by Andrew R. Philemonof, city of St. George.) 

For the first time since Fishermen’s Terminal was established in 1913, the Port of Seattle wants a cut of the fishermen’s sales of raw and frozen fish from their boats at the west wall.

“To allow individuals to go there and sell off their vessels would be a gift of funds,” Fishermen’s Terminal General Manager Kenneth Lyles said. “We would be giving away a public asset in the interests of individual fishermen who are operating as retailers.”

After investing millions for new docks at Fishermen’s Terminal, the port has raised its moorage rates and will continue to do so until they match the market average. Lyles said the port could generate more revenue by mooring large ships at the west wall. 

Fishermen are also upset about the port’s plan to tear out storage locker lofts that house nets and equipment.  Lyles said the lofts are unsafe, present a fire hazard and threaten the structural integrity of the buildings.  Fishermen say the lofts have never caught fire or collapsed. The port is researching how to store the gear temporarily. 

To read the rest of the story in the PI, click here.  Our sister site, My Ballard, also has information on the issues at Fisherman’s Terminal here.  Previous coverage here.

Fishermen would be able to sell an expanded line of products from their boats at Fishermen’s Terminal  without paying for the privilege under a proposal approved Friday.  The task force that included both fishermen and the owners of a terminal seafood market who were concerned about retail competition approved the plan.

The unanimous agreement by a subcommittee of the Fishermen’s Terminal Advisory Council could help resolve the long-simmering controversy over retail sales by fishermen at the terminal’s west wall according to an article in the PI.  The issue of what fishermen can sell from their boats at the terminal has been in dispute for years.   The elected Port Commission, which governs port operations will ultimately decide what to do. 

Hundreds braved the rain at Fishermen’s Terminal to celebrate the return of the North Pacific fishing fleet at the annual Fishermen’s Fall Festival.

One of the most popular events is the wild salmon filet challenge.

These guys are fast. The salmon, by the way, went straight on the BBQ. Yum. Other attractions included live music, demonstrations, a trout pond, oyster art, fish prints and face painting for the kids.

Kids could also build their own wooden boat. What could be cooler than that?

J.P. Patches, perhaps? Due to the rain, the turnout looked a little lower than average, but great fun was had by all.

Throngs of people turned out for Sunday’s fundraiser at Fishermen’s Terminal for the Fishermen’s Memorial fund.

They were there to tour two of the boats and meet many of the captains and crew from the Discovery show Deadliest Catch.

Fans waited their turn for a tour for a $10 donation. We overheard one man say to his wife, “We didn’t know there were this many fans of the show.”

And some of the Seagals were there, too. The boat “Sea Star” began offering tours at the Terminal back in June, and it seems it’s suddenly one of our area’s most popular tourist attractions. All the money raised from the tour’s today goes toward the Fishermen’s Memorial, which promotes fishing safety and helps ease the financial burden of surviving family members of fishermen lost at sea. A very good cause. Today’s event goes until 5 p.m.