May 11, 2021 — The following was released by The Port of Seattle:
Standing tall near the water’s edge at Fishermen’s Terminal is Seattle Fishermen’s Memorial, a tribute to more than 675 local commercial fishers who lost their lives at sea. This monument serves as a place of reverence, reflection, and healing for their families and the tight-knit commercial fishing industry. Further, the organization behind the monument, also called Seattle Fishermen’s Memorial, provides valuable services to support fishers and their families. Here are five fast facts about Seattle Fishermen’s Memorial, the sculpture, and the organization:
1. The sculpture depicts fishers as larger-than-life heroes.
The bronze figure topping the monument is heroic and larger than life by design. Its size reflects the immensely important, challenging, and often dangerous work undertaken by fishers – the work of heroes. The figure is posed landing a massive, mythical fish imagined by the artist as a composite of many species: cod, salmon, herring, rockfish and others — a hero’s bounty.
2. The memorial design was chosen from 92 submissions.
In 1986 the Seattle Fishermen’s Memorial planning committee opened a contest to design and build the monument. Sculptor Ron Petty’s design was chosen among 92 submissions. It took Petty two years and four months to complete the work. The monument was dedicated October 8, 1988.
Today, Seattle Fishermen’s Memorial stands between Docks 8 and 9 at Fishermen’s Terminal. The monument features a 30-foot bronze and granite column flanked by two granite walls. These walls bear the names of local fishers lost at sea since the start of the 20th century.