By Karissa Bodnar, Jamie Rae Seluk, and Tyler Steele
“Boats are kind of like old fishermen. Old fishing boats and old fishermen are kind of the same just adapting and at some point maybe the boat isn’t or can’t do that job as well anymore so it moves on,” says Michael Reddekopp, a captain of the boat Sea Warrior which was featured on The Deadliest Catch: Season Two. “We were just standing out on deck last night commenting that it’s a shame we’ve got this huge we’ve got all this equipment and we don’t we don’t fish anymore.”
Video by Jamie Rae Seluk and Tyler Steele
Before highways, the early fishing industry in Ballard helped the small port city of Seattle grow into the metropolis it is today. However, in recent decades the tides of change have swept into Fishermen’s Terminal. The commercial fishermen, who spent their lives along the Pacific Coast, must now adjust to new economic demands and a different way of life. Life as a fisherman is much more complex than one would expect; it is ever changing, unpredictable, dangerous, and can be quite lonely. The story of the Fishermen’s Terminal is much more than meets the eye. Located on Salmon Bay in the neighborhood of Ballard in Seattle, WA, it is located just west of Ballard Bridge.
Slideshow produced by Brittany Hoffmann and Jamie Rae Seluk. Photos by Jamie Rae Seluk.
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I’ve lived in Ballard 20 years and one of my favorite routes home is across the Ballard bridge where I can see all the fishing boats.
City need stop helping bicyclist, Make road open for car drivers only not for bikers. Biker drive way they like it, does not stop in red light, make misreble drive for car driver,
Ballard, like all of the surrounding neighborhoods of downtown Seattle, such as Queen Anne, West Seattle, Capitol Hill, and the like – all have such a rich history and heritage. Great story – Thanks!
Me Tarzan. You Jane.