The Oregon International Port of Coos Bay is teaming up with the West Coast Seafood Processors Association and local seafood processors on a grant that they hope would pay for a study exploring the possibility of building a multi-user byproduct recovery center on port-owned land in Charleston, the port announced Wednesday, March 9.
Because of tighter regulations for treating and disposing wastewater, Oregon seafood processors have been looking for ways to stay compliant and manage costs, and have been working with the Port of Coos Bay for the last year on a solution.
The port said that it plans to apply for a $50,000 grant through the port planning and marketing program to Business Oregon. The association plans to contribute $25,000.
If the project moves forward, the facility would help local seafood processors stay compliant and keep operating costs down, as well as allowing for organic material to be retrieved and reused that would have otherwise been destined to a landfill, the port said.
“This project will lay the groundwork to construct a facility that will support the day-to-day operations of the entire commercial fishing industry on Oregon’s south coast,” Port CEO John Burns said. “Additionally, this project will serve as a demonstration for other coastal communities as a creative public and private partnership solution to challenges facing the industry as a whole.”
