PNTL Helps Fisherman Reel in His Big Dream

Anthony Henry has been fishing in the Salish Sea — the water that spans Washington state’s Puget Sound — for his entire life.

 “It’s my passion, it’s what I grew up doing,” he said.

A citizen of the Tulalip Nation, Henry grew up in and out of the foster care system and never knew his biological father. In his early teens, a family member who worked as a commercial fisherman took him in; Henry began fishing and quickly fell in love with the trade. He saw that the money was good and the schedule allowed for more freedom than a typical 9-to-5 career.

As a young adult, Henry continued to work on commercial fishing vessels, but he had a vision of owning a boat one day and running his own operation.

“I finally said, ‘Ok, I’m going to set this goal,'” Henry said. “I want to accomplish my dream that I always dreamed of — of owning a nice, big boat.” 

Today, with support from Pacific Northwest Tribal Lending, a Native CDFI, Henry is living his dream as he takes to the sea as captain of his own commercial fishing boat, the 32-foot Juggernaut.

An Excerpt from Tribal Business News – Sept 11, 2024 | Read the Full Article Online