Tom Calvanese harvests purple urchins.
Stephani Gordon / OPB
Oregon has invested millions in workforce development across the state. But a program aimed at helping workers and businesses along the coast will be ending soon. Northwest Oregon Works serves Benton, Clatsop, Columbia, Lincoln and Tillamook counties.
The nonprofit has supported the state’s maritime industry and has funded projects for organizations including Newport Fishermen’s Wives, Oregon State University and the Oregon Coast Visitors Association. OoNee Sea Urchin Ranch also received funding to train divers and aquaculture interns.
The ranch aims to sustainably harvest sea urchin in the state. It collects urchins and feeds them on land. It processes uni, the organ found in sea urchins that’s considered a culinary delicacy, in Newport.
We learn more about the future of the maritime industry in Oregon from OoNee Sea Urchin Ranch CEO Aaron Huang and Len Tumbarello, the Maritime Program Coordinator for Northwest Oregon Works.
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