Summer 2018 “Shop at the Dock” tours in Newport and Warrenton show consumers how to buy in-season seafood

June 19, 2018

Have you ever wanted to buy seafood right from the boat, but weren’t sure what questions to ask or what to look for? Have you ever stood at a seafood market staring at all the choices but not been sure what was local or in season?

Kaety Jacobson, an Oregon Sea Grant Extension marine fisheries specialist, leads a Shop at the Dock tour in Newport.

Kaety Jacobson, an Oregon Sea Grant Extension marine fisheries specialist, leads a Shop at the Dock tour in Newport. (Photo by Lynn Ketchum)

If so, this summer is your chance to learn more about buying seafood. Experts with Oregon Sea Grant and the Oregon State University Extension Service will demystify the process during free, guided dockside tours in Newport and Warrenton that connect seafood lovers with commercial fishermen.

Oregon Sea Grant and Extension have been offering the tours – called Shop at the Dock – every summer in Newport since 2014 and in Warrenton since 2017. During the tours, participants learn what seafood is in season, how it’s caught, whether it’s sustainable, and how to identify and buy high-quality fish and shellfish. In 2016, the tours drew more than 350 people, said Kaety Jacobson, an Oregon Sea Grant marine fisheries specialist with Oregon State University’s Extension Service.

Dates for the Newport tours are July 13, 20 and 27, and Aug. 3, 10 and 17, 2018, with groups departing from Port Dock 5 on Newport’s bayfront at 9:30 a.m., 10 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. each day. The 90-minute tours are free and on a first-come, first-served basis. In Newport, registration is required only for groups of five or more by calling 541-574-6534 ext. 57427.

In Warrenton, the tours will take place June 22 and 29, and July 13 and 20, 2018, at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. each day, and will include a tour of a local market. Tours will start at the Warrenton Marina commercial docks located at the end of N.E. Heron Ave., at 200 N.E. Heron. For the Warrenton event, registration by phone is required for everyone and is on a first-come, first-served basis. To register, call 503-325-8573 at least three days prior to the event.

At both sites, participants are advised to wear comfortable walking shoes with tractionarrive 15 minutes early, and bring cash and a cooler with ice. For disability accommodations, please call the numbers above.

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