Siuslaw Fisherman's Association

Bring Back the Fishing Boats!

The Siuslaw Fisherman's Association is dedicated to promoting and supporting sport and commercial fishing in the Siuslaw River basin and in the surrounding ocean waters. The SFA's most immediate goal is to return commercial fishing to the Port of Siuslaw by providing a source of ice to the fishermen.

After the departure of the only active fish-buyer in the Port of Siuslaw in June 2004, local fishermen were left with no source for ice. They had to take their boats to Newport or Charleston, burning extra fuel and losing a day of fishing in the process. Because of this, numerous boats have left Florence and the Port of Siuslaw and are now based out of Newport or Charleston. The loss of the fishing fleet has had a negative impact on commerce in the greater Florence area.

To reverse this situation and bring the boats back to Florence, the SFA purchased the derelict ice machine for $1 and had it shipped to W.E. Stone and Company in Seattle where it has been completely refurbished. This ice machine should provide reliable service with routine maintenance for approximately twenty years. The associated costs for refurbishing the ice machine have been covered by sales of the SOS Calendar, fund-raising, private donations, public grants and membership fees.

Unfortunately, the existing ice house is decrepit and unsuitable to house the refurbished ice machine. In addition, the wharf will need to be replaced in the next few years. Because of these factors, the SFA is pursuing the purchase of two, 40 foot containers that will be stacked on the wharf and provide housing for the ice machine, ice storage, and the ice delivery system.

We have received donations and grants amounting to about $120,000 but we still need to raise approximately $120,000 to complete the ice machine project.

We are continuing to pursue grants and other sources of funding, but time is short. The longer the fishing boats work out of other ports, the less likelihood there is that they will return to Florence. In addition, with so little commercial traffic across the Siuslaw river bar, obtaining funds for dredging the channel becomes much tougher. If we don't act soon, we may lose all dredging funds and consequently lose our access to the ocean in all but the best weather. We may also lose our Coast Guard station. Our goal is to have an ice plant operating in 2007.

Once the ice plant is operational, the revenue from ice sales should provide the funds needed for other projects. We hope to add a cold storage facility and would like to see a custom cannery and smokehouse. We intend to work with STEP (Salmon Trout Enhancement Program) and with the parks programs that teach children about fishing. We are also working on a scholarship program.

We need your help to bring the fishing fleet back to Florence. Please donate your time or money to assist us in reaching this worthwhile goal. Fishing is an extremely valuable asset to all of us in this community.

Thank you for your support.

The Siuslaw Fisherman's Association is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit corporation.
All donations and memberships are tax deductible.

How You Can Help:

Become a Member

Annual memberships are available at the following levels:

Wives and Friends	$25
Sport Fisherman	$25
Commercial Fisherman	$25

(Must have a commercial fishing license to join as a Commercial Fisherman)

Make a Donation

We have received donations from individuals ranging from a few cents to ten thousand dollars. Every donation helps get us closer to the goal.

Tax deductible donations may be made to the Siuslaw Fisherman's Association:

Siuslaw Fisherman's Association
P.O. Box 2431
Florence, OR 97439

Volunteer

The Siuslaw Fisherman's Association is an all volunteer organization and it takes a lot of work to pull all of this together. We need help with fund-raising as well as all the day-to-day organizational functions like book-keeping and record management. We have some very talented people helping out but they can't do it all. No matter what your skills, we can use your help.