Charleston, A Prolific Port, April 10

Report from the Oregon Employment Dept. The Port of Charleston is the South Coast’s most prolific commercial fishing port, accounting for more than $34 million in total revenue, or almost 22 percent of the statewide total in 2014. About 30 percent of Charleston’s commercial fishing revenue is from pink shrimp, at $10,275,512, or about 35 percent of total statewide pink shrimp revenue. Dungeness crab brought in $2,886,726 in revenue to Charleston last year, about 6 percent of the statewide total. Other Charleston fisheries with significant revenue and sizeable portions of the statewide total include halibut ($111,948 and 9.7%), sablefish ($1,393,857 and 17.3%), Chinook salmon ($5,154,609 and 28.2%), petrale sole ($837,276 and 22.9%), and albacore tuna ($ 3,001,868 and 27.2%). Charleston remains Oregon’s hagfish capitol, with 52 percent of statewide revenue for this Asian delicacy fishery. Otherwise known as the slime eel, these denizens of the deep brought in $786,564 in commercial landings to the Port of Charleston in 2014.