SENATE RESOLUTION

                         1996-8708

By Senators Kohl, Spanel, Wojahn, Rassmussen and Fraser

     WHEREAS, The Washington State commercial fishing fleet leaves in March and the Blessing of the Fleet will occur at Fisherman's Terminal in Ballard tomorrow, March 3, 1996; and

     WHEREAS, The Washington State commercial  fishing fleet is one of the world's largest distant water fleets; and

     WHEREAS, The commercial fishing industry directly and indirectly employs thousands of people; and

     WHEREAS, The harvest annually generates millions of dollars each year in direct economic contribution; and

     WHEREAS, The life of a fisher is one fraught with danger and hardship that most of us will never face; and

     WHEREAS, Strength and courage are basic requirements for anyone who chooses to work on the high seas, battling the elements in order to harvest the nature's bounty; and

     WHEREAS, The men and women who work on boats, living between God and the sea, and never certain which will claim them first, deserve our admiration, our thanks, and, when tragedy strikes, our remembrance; and

     WHEREAS, Too often fishers do lose their lives, and their deaths devastate not only the tightly knit fabric that is the community of fishing families in our region but our entire state;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Washington State Senate extends its condolences to the families and friends of all our fishermen and women who have lost their lives at sea, and wishes the entire commercial fishing fleet a safe and prosperous season and that all fishing men and women will return home safely to their families, friends and communities.

I, Marty Brown, Secretary of the Senate,

do hereby certify that this is a true and

correct copy of Senate Resolution 1996-8708,

adopted by the Senate March 2, 1996.

MARTY BROWN

Secretary of the Senate