Pastor blesses fishermen and dead found at docks

The yearly blessing of the North Pacific fishing fleet Sunday became a remembrance of fishers lost not only at sea but at Seattle's Fishermen's Terminal as well.

The Rev. Erik Wilson Weiberg of Ballard First Lutheran Church delivered the customary prayer for the fishing industry and for the coming season, but quickly expanded on the theme to call for those in power to "ensure the safety of those at sea and right here on these docks."


		Paul Joseph Brown / P-I
	Fisherman John McDonald prays aboard his fishing boat Sanjo on Sunday at Seattle's Fishermen's Terminal before receiving a fleet blessing in the terminal's 77th annual event.

"Lord, have mercy," he said, recalling the discovery at the terminal of the bodies of Kip Gilmartin, 42; Barlo Buck Rea, 40; Michael Wayne Grady, 45; and a woman whose identity has not yet been released. Gilmartin's body was found in September and Rea's in February.

Police are investigating the deaths of the woman and Grady, a fishing-boat crewman, who were found Friday morning floating near the south wall of the terminal basin. Port officials said they could not describe the circumstances surrounding their deaths.

But their deaths renewed fishermen's calls for more safety improvements at the 93-year-old terminal, which has undergone some renovation in the past year.

"I don't know what to blame," said gillnetter John McDonald of the recent deaths. "These docks are old, and they're hazardous."

Gilmartin's death was ruled an accidental drowning, and authorities are awaiting toxicology test results before ruling on Rea's death.

The causes of Grady's and the woman's deaths remain under investigation.

About 60 people, including public officials and other speakers, attended the fleet ceremony under almost-clear skies at the bronze fishermen's memorial, reminding others of the risks fishers face in the unpredictable waters where they work.

Bob Alverson, director of the Fishing Vessel Owners' Association, said vessel owners faced a mixed prospect this season. Most Pacific Coastal salmon species are in good enough shape to allow harvest, he said, but such other species as rockfish and sablefish are likely out of reach while managers try to rebuild those stocks.

Weiberg said his church is praying for a bountiful harvest for the fleet, but he added a reminder for Port of Seattle officials and others for continued work to make the terminal safe.

Since last year "I've heard of more people being lost here at Fishermen's Terminal than in the North Pacific," Weiberg told the crowd. "Let us treat one another with the greatest of care."

Fisherman Pete Knutson, a frequent port critic, said that so far the port has not responded to recent fishermen's requests for adding more non-slip material to dock surfaces, warning signs and safety lines under the docks to help people pull themselves up. He said the port had allowed the terminal to deteriorate over the years.

Port officials, in response, said improvements are coming. The port is replacing six of the terminal's wooden docks with new concrete versions that will sit lower in the water, making them more accessible to those who fall in.

Terminal manager Ken Lyles has also told fishermen the port will add more ladders on loading docks, add markings at locations of ladders and life rings, and add lighting near life rings. One slippery dock will be power-washed and low rails will be installed on docks 3 and 4 where vehicles park, he said in a recent letter.

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