meet your fisherman- Hank Feenstra

If you’ve been to the Bellingham Dockside Market, you’ve probably seen Hank and his wife Hannah selling off of their boat, the F/V Ocean Swell with their sons. Here is Hank’s story of how he and his family started fishing.

Hank’s father, Dick Feenstra, quit farming for his dad in Custer for a job at Intalco, then bought a boat and followed some Bellingham fishermen (the Nelson brothers) to Alaska to become a fisherman. Hank and his brothers, Pete and Steve, spent every summer of their lives on the family boats. They started on a 36 foot vessel gillnetting salmon, and moved up to a 58 foot seiner fishing salmon and herring and long lining halibut, black cod and Pacific cod. They pot fished for cod, Tanner crab and Dungeness crab. “My experience in commercial fishing helps me bring my catch home to my family and now to people who want to know more about our local seafood. My local Fisher Family story is part of the traceability I enjoy sharing along with our fresh local catch.”

As a lifelong resident of Whatcom County and a second generation fisherman, every dollar Hank has ever made has come from our local waters and most of his money is spent here as well. His dad started taking him crabbing in Puget Sound when he was four years old, and Hank has continued that tradition with his own sons. “My boat is a Bellingham boat and I am proud to be a part of this rich Commercial Fishing History.”