The Fish Goddess of Newport: The Story of Amber Morris
- 7 hours ago
- 5 min read
A Beloved Fixture on the Central Oregon Coast
By Steve Card
Before most of Newport has finished its first cup of coffee, Amber Morris is already on the docks.
The early morning air along the Bayfront smells of salt, diesel, and fresh catch as fishing boats ease into their slips. Deckhands unload totes heavy with rockfish, lingcod, and salmon, while gulls circle overhead and the harbor slowly wakes to another working day. Moving easily among the fishermen, Amber studies the catch with a practiced eye — lifting a fish here, checking the sheen of the skin there, already knowing which ones will make the best fillets by the time they reach the table.
For more than four decades on the Central Oregon Coast, she has done this work with a quiet authority that fishermen respect and customers trust. Around Newport, many people know her simply as the Fish Goddess — a nickname that reflects both her deep knowledge of seafood and her tireless devotion to the fishing community.
As the longtime fishmonger at Local Ocean Seafoods, located at 213 SE Bay Blvd on Newport’s historic Bayfront, Amber has become an essential link between the boats that land their catch each morning and the restaurants, markets, and households that depend on the ocean’s bounty.
A fishmonger is a specialist in seafood — a professional who selects, prepares (like filleting), and sells fish, often working directly with fishermen to bring the freshest possible product to customers. Amber embodies every part of that traditional craft, rooted in a trade whose very name dates back to Old English, where “monger” meant a dealer or trader.
Local Ocean captures her presence perfectly on its website, describing her as a “resident Fish Goddess” who spends her days answering questions, scouring the docks for the freshest catch, and filleting with precision behind the fish case. The affectionate nickname originated with past Local Ocean chef Charlie Branford and quickly became a community-wide title that has stuck ever since.
Building a Life in Seafood
Amber’s career began more than four decades ago.“I started working at Depoe Bay Fish Company,” she recalled — a well known fish processing company owned by Jerry & Sheryl Bates. She began working in the crab room before quickly finding her way into the fillet room. When shrimp season opened, she worked side-by-side with experienced processors, learning rapidly.
“Two weeks later, they put me in charge of the whole shrimp process, and I’d only been there three months,” she said. “Then they put me in the fish market, and I had every key in the place. I worked with Teresa Maynard, who taught me everything.”
Amber stayed with that company for 17 years. But something bothered her: trucks would haul fresh fish from the Bayfront up to Portland to be processed, but it would be days before it made its way back to the coast and into the local restaurants or homes. “I thought, you know what, I’m going to go buy the fish when the boat comes in and bring it to the restaurants,” she said.
And so she did.
She acquired her wholesale license, began buying directly from local boats – primarily the F/V Helen B, a small dory captained by her son, Sterling Morris. She embarked on a one-woman mission to deliver seafood as fresh as physically possible. “I drove to every restaurant from Lincoln City to Florence. The fish spoke for itself,” she said. Midnight phone calls from a restaurant were not uncommon, and every day she dropped off fish that had been offloaded the night before. (She did this for about 8 years)
Joining Local Ocean Seafoods
Amber first connected with Local Ocean because they needed someone to fillet fish. “I stopped by and helped for a few months,” she said. The company’s founder, Laura Anderson, hoped Amber would join them full-time. “She really wanted me to work here, but I was busy with what I was doing,” said Amber. Eventually though, in 2008, Amber began working there full-time.
Laura Anderson said it was a perfect match.“It’s like it’s just her whole purpose in life to support the fishermen. She just lives and breathes it… When we started the fish market, all of the fishermen said, ‘You need Amber Morris.’”
At first Amber balanced both her independent wholesale business and her role at Local Ocean, but over time she transitioned fully into the fish market. “I could just see how much she cared about the community, about the fishers,” Laura said. “It’s just pure love. She’s all heart.”
A Passion for Fishermen and Fresh Seafood
When asked what inspires her, Amber’s answer is simple:“The passion of taking care of the fishermen and providing fresh product to the people who want fish and to the restaurants.”
That passion has ripple effects throughout the entire organization. According to company president and CEO Tony Bixler, Local Ocean purchases fish from between 35 and 70 vessels each year, and Amber manages all of those relationships. Fish she procures is used in the restaurant, sold in the market, or included in Local Ocean’s signature DockBox meal kits.
The 100 Percent Fish Initiative
Local Ocean is committed to reducing waste and using every part of every fish — an effort known as the 100 percent fish initiative. In commercial processing, only 35 to 65 percent of a fish typically becomes fillet. Local Ocean aims to use it all.
To help lead that work, they brought on Darlene Khalafi as their 100 percent fish business innovation specialist.“I deal with what’s left after Amber procures and buys it, (and) our Local Ocean team fillets it,” Darlene explained. “We separate the rest of the fish into usable parts — for pet treats, bone broths, or products for farmers and ranchers like compost or soil amendments.”
Of her working relationship with Amber, Darlene said, “She is one of the first people you just have to know when you learn anything about Local Ocean or Newport and fishing. She not only knows your fish order but your dog’s name and probably your Zodiac symbol.”
For Amber, the zero-waste philosophy is second nature. “I’ve kind of always had that approach,” she said. “That’s how I feel.”
A Community Icon
Amber’s community involvement extends far beyond the fish market counter. In addition to supporting local fishermen, businesses and community members, she is very supportive of groups like the Newport Fishermen’s Wives, a nonprofit supporting fishing families and industry education.
Taunette Dixon of that organization said, “I grew up in Newport, so I’ve known Amber as long as I can remember. She’s always supported the fishermen… She’s a treasure for us.”
Taunette described Amber as the welcoming face behind the counter, someone who can explain every piece of seafood and teach both locals and tourists how simple it can be to prepare. “Educating a lot of the tourists about our seafood is so important for our industry, and she does a great job.”
A Lifelong Calling
After more than 40 years living and working on the Oregon Coast, Amber has no plans to slow down.
“I’m not going anywhere,” she said with a smile. “It’s my passion. I’ll get a phone call at 5 in the morning and I’m right there. All of the fishermen have my number, and I always pick the phone up; always.”
In Newport, they already know that. The Fish Goddess is part of the tide, part of the fleet, and part of the heart of this coastal community — connecting people to the ocean’s bounty one fillet at a time.
