The Salmon State: Companies work hard

THE FISHING GOES ON GOES ON

BY MARY CATHARINE MARTIN

Some fast food restaurants in the Lower 48 have stopped serving hamburgers. Meatpacking plants have shut down. Grocery stores are frequently sold out of flour and rice. But Americans can buy Alaskan seafood directly from the fishermen who caught it – and, in increasing numbers, that’s what they’re doing.

We spoke with direct marketers and community-supported fisheries, or CSFs, that focus on three different areas: Alaska, the Midwest, and the East Coast. In the time of COVID-19, the first priority for all three was ensuring the health of their staff and their customers. Next, they’re working to adapt creatively to the ways the COVID-19 pandemic has, almost overnight, changed the marketplace. For direct marketers, those changes have meant an increase in some kinds of sales.

The fishermen owners of Alaskans Own are mostly small-boat family businesses keeping wild seafood distributed to consumers during the coronavirus pandemic. “They’re committed to the long-term health of the resource and the community,” said Linda Behnken, executive director of the Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association, AO’s parent organization. (ERIC JORDAN)

SITKA SALMON SHARES STARTED out as a fish-box-selling fundraiser for the Sitka Conservation Society, a local nonprofit, 11 years ago. Now it has 10,000 members and is “by the number of members, one of the largest community-supported fisheries in the U.S.,” said Kelly Harrell, chief fisheries officer for the organization.

Harrell said one of the first things Sitka Salmon Shares did as the pandemic took hold was establish baseline prices for its 23 fishermen owners, 19 of whom are out of Sitka and four of whom are out of Kodiak, in order to give them peace of mind.

During COVID-19, direct sales have become by far their strongest sector.

“Like a lot of direct marketing businesses, we’ve seen an uptick in sales that we’re really happy about,” said Harrell. “But we’re not planning longterm for that kind of increase, based on the economic uncertainty that we face.”

Sitka Salmon Shares fisherman-owner John Skeele pulls in a king salmon. Since the pandemic, the company launched a “Fishermen’s Fund” stimulus package that will be divided across the fleet. (SITKA SALMON SHARES)

Since the pandemic, Sitka Salmon Shares has also launched a “Fishermen’s Fund” –being seeded, right now, with T-shirt sales –that will essentially become checks divided across the fleet: a “fishermen’s stimulus package” not tied to harvest.

“We’re trying to do things to create value for fishermen that are not directly tied to their harvest,” Harrell said. “This year and in future years, that harvest is increasingly uncertain.”

STEVE KURIAN, A BRISTOL Bay fisherman who owns Wild for Salmon, which distributes out of Pennsylvania, said COVID-19 has meant big changes. For the last 15 years he has sold Leader Creek sockeye out of Bristol Bay, as well as halibut, black cod and lingcod from Southeast Alaska, king crab from Dutch Harbor, and other Alaska seafoods as well.

When the pandemic took hold, Wild for Salmon shut down its brick-andmortar store, moved to only curbside pickup, and stopped going to farmers markets. Now, their labor is focused on other kinds of sales.

“Online and wholesale orders went through the roof, so we had to really flex to maintain getting all the orders out on time,” Kurian said.

Since the pandemic began, he said, online sales have gone up 300 percent. Wholesale orders went up 200 percent.

IN THE LAST FRONTIER, Alaska-focused direct marketer Alaskans Own (AO) is kicking off its marketing campaign. Alaskans Own is a Sitka-based CSF run by the Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association (ALFA) that markets, primarily, to Alaskans. Less than 1 percent of the seafood caught in Alaska

stays in Alaska, said ALFA executive director Linda Behnken. AO is working to change that.

“Alaska is a tough market, in a lot of ways, but it’s really where we would like to build connections,” said Behnken. “Alaskans love Alaska seafood, but you don’t always see connections between people who love Alaska seafood and the fishermen who catch it.”

As Alaskans Own’s name suggests, the majority of its subscribers are instate, though some live elsewhere. AO delivers salmon (hook-and-line-caught), halibut, rockfish, crab, shrimp and more, all processed by local processors.

“This year more than ever, the CSF approach is really important. Because restaurants have closed, the prices to fishermen have really dropped,” Behnken said. “We’re hoping to partially replace restaurants with direct-to-consumer delivery, and to get more people hooked on great Alaska seafood so that Alaskans keep eating seafood both at home and in restaurants once the restaurants reopen.”

One of their new offerings will be Zoom sessions with seafood chefs so the chef and subscribers can cook “together,” with the chef walking customers through cooking seafood step by step.

“We’re looking for some new fun ways to engage more people so more people have access to great Alaska seafood,” Behnken said. “And to help people be that much more connected to the fishermen, to the seafood, and to be comfortable

Steve Kurian is a Bristol Bay fisherman and owner of Wild for Salmon, which has focused on online sales of fresh seafood to accommodate customers as the country has been mostly on lockdown. “Online and wholesale orders went through the roof, so we had to really flex to maintain getting all the orders out on time,” Kurian said. (WILD FOR SALMON)

cooking the fish themselves – to do a good job and enjoy it to its utmost.”

Alaskans Own has also launched a seafood donation program this spring and, with support from local processors, has been delivering portioned seafood to Sitka families in need and wellness organizations each week since the pandemic began.

ALFA’s fishing members are donating the fish, Seafood Producers Cooperative and Sitka Sound Seafoods are processing the fish, and contributions from Silver Bay Seafoods, the Sitka Legacy Fund, and charitable individuals are covering the costs of safely delivering the seafood to families in need. Contributions to the program can be made on the Alaskans Own website.

Whether orders have taken off or not, direct marketers are doing their best to stabilize what they can.

“A direct domestic consumer market is something we always felt was important for fishermen and consumers,” said Harrell of Sitka Salmon Shares.

“All of those beliefs are being enforced right now, and it’s something we hope people don’t forget about. At times like these, the food security concerns that overseas types of supply chains create are highlighted. Our businesses –CSFs –fill a really important need. You can feel good about where your food comes from, you can feel good about fish and harvesters being paid a fair price, and you’re getting a product that makes the most of what nature gives us. I think a lot of people are hoping consumers will really value businesses like ours into the future, and that it won’t be a blip.” ASJ

The Ida Lee, a boat in the Alaskans Own fleet, is using Zoom and other internet technology to stay connected to its buyers of wild salmon, halibut and rockfish. “We’re looking for some new fun ways to engage more people so more people have access to great Alaska seafood,” Behnken said of the company. (ERIC JORDAN)

Editor’s note: Mary Catharine Martin is the communications director of SalmonState, an organization that works to keep Alaska a place for wild salmon and the people who depend on them thriving. Go to salmonstate .org for more.

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FATHERS AND SONS,

BILLIES AND BUCKS

HUNTING KODIAK ISLAND’S HEIGHTS DEEPENS FAMILY BONDS FOR FOUR MEN

BY BRIAN WATKINS

Goat hunting is not for the faint of heart. It takes determination, stamina, focus and endurance.

I often hear the saying, “I’m too old to goat hunt,” but I disagree with that assertion. Age knows no limits. That’s apparent in my father’s determination to keep in stride with the “the young guys.”

Author Brian Watkins (front), his buddy

Mark Brown, and their dads Tom (rear left) and Mo experienced a special mountain goat and deer hunt together on Kodiak Island. (BRIAN WATKINS)

“You can tell by the way I’m dressed that I wasn’t prepared,” Atkins admits about his first hunt. “The cotton sweatshirt and the leather boots are a dead giveaway. We had fun, but there were many lessons learned.” (PAUL D. ATKINS)

Flying through the island’s steep mountains provided an eagle-eye view of what exactly would be required to reach goat country. But the author’s dad Tom was ready for it; his 60th birthday wish was to harvest a billy. (BRIAN WATKINS)

My dad Tom’s goal for his 60th birthday was to harvest a mountain goat in Alaska. That’s right: Sixty years old and ready to hike thousands of vertical feet to get into goat country. Some say insane; those who understand say, right on.

WE FLEW TO KODIAK for our father-son hunt that included my buddy Mark and I, plus my father Tom and Mark’s dad Mo. We took a Beaver to the southern end of Kodiak to fulfill our dads’ dreams of taking a mountain goat. We chose to be dropped off in a lake cove at 450 feet in elevation.

After we landed on the lake, we set up camp and glassed goats that were up around 2,900 feet. I’ll never forget that morning. We watched goats for hours, planning how to get up into the heights to hunt them the next day.

As I picked a route to take, I noticed four billies running along the top of the mountain. I wondered what was happening and then noticed a grizzly sow and two cubs in hot pursuit. The goats crested the ridge and we could only imagine the outcome.

The following morning we noticed eagles circling the area, so our best guess is the bears won. As we began the route we picked out the day before, we found bear scat with goat hair in it. The bears were doing a number on the population.

We followed our game plan and climbed all morning to close the distance on the goats. My dad was the leader of the pack. He kept us going and pushed us along. Dad’s determination was a driving factor in our ability to move quickly.

We closed the distance to within 400 yards of the goats. As we set up the spotting scope to check out where the animals were, we heard rustling in the brush. Immediately everyone jumped on guard and grabbed their rifles.

An adolescent brown bear popped out a mere 75 yards away. He was overly curious of us and kept coming closer. We tried to act big with our hands in the air and standing together

The plane dropped the guys o’ on the shores of a lake cove, where they set up camp and began glassing for goats in anticipation of the next day’s hunt. (BRIAN WATKINS)

This was a dream view for a father and son celebrating the former’s 60th birthday. (BRIAN WATKINS)

There were plenty of goats in the heights, but unexpectedly also brown bears. The hunters had one very close encounter with a young, curious bruin. (BRIAN WATKINS)

Taking a much-deserved break at camp after a lot of hiking and climbing. (BRIAN WATKINS)

After everyone harvested a goat, the hunting didn’t end – there were still deer tags to be filled. The quartet harvested three Sitka blacktails. (BRIAN WATKINS)

A special moment shared by the older generation of this family hunt, Tom (left) and

Mo were up for the grueling assignment that goat hunting can be. (BRIAN WATKINS)

in a line. It may have been the first time this bear saw a human.

As the bruin came to within 20 yards, I had to shoot in front of it to scare it back. He didn’t budge and gave me the look of, “This is my habitat,” by staring me down and slowly walking away. It was a close encounter and the outcome was that my gunshot pushed the goats to the peak of the mountain.

Our hunt had just become a lot more challenging.

AS THE DAY MOVED along, our pace slowed. We were forced into acrobatics in trying to summit the mountain. Goat country is dangerous territory, but we kept going. Pulling and pushing each other up ledges, we were one slip away from catastrophe.

We jumped a couple of goats and made our way into an area where we could glass the tops of the mountain. We found a group of goats that were in a stalkable area, made our way over and set up for the shot.

At 200 yards, we were able to all set up and each take a goat. Four guys on a father-son hunt, and four goats worth of harvests!

The real work was about to begin, as we had an animal each to pack back to camp. It took two days to pack the animals back, but we accomplished what we had set out to do.

“Four guys on a father-son hunt, and four goats,” Watkins writes. “This father-son trip deepened our family hunting bonds forever.” (BRIAN WATKINS)

We had our transporter come pick up the meat, but we weren’t done hunting, as we also had deer tags to fill. I knew of a spot with decent deer hunting and asked the pilot to move us there. We packed camp and set out.

The weather was set to turn into the standard Kodiak 60-plus-mph winds and rain. But since we had time to hunt, we went! Over two days we found deer and were able to harvest three in one drainage. It was a hunt that will live forever in our minds.

Four goats and three deer among our dads and us. This father-son trip deepened our family hunting bonds forever. Happy Father’s Day! ASJ