SEAFOOD.COM NEWS by John Sackton - March 1, 2010 - Last week, Ocean Beauty informed its fishermen in Petersburg that it will be operating only a single facility, its Excursion inlet plant, for pink salmon next year. According to Ocean Beauty spokesman Tom Sunderland, speaking to KFSK radio, the low pink salmon numbers forecast by ADF&G means that it is not feasible for the company to operate both in Petersburg and in Excursion inlet. Instead, they will be only doing salmon at the larger excursion inlet plant in 2010. The Petersburg facility will do the smaller roe on kelp fishery, however.
Sunderland assured fishermen that the company would operate its full fleet of 19 tenders. To do this, it has made an agreement with Alaska General Seafoods in Ketchikan that all 19 tenders will supply both facilities. 'All 19 tenders are jointly operating for Alaska General Seafoods and Ocean Beauty, and will be on an equal footing for both groups. ' Sunderland said the company also considered the possibility that the run could be larger than forecast, but between the Excursion Inlet plant and Alaska General Seafoods, there is still plenty of processing capacity. ADF&G has forecast a harvest of only 19 million pinks in Southeast Alaska, half of the volume in 2009, and also half of the long term average. The Petersburg plant which will be put on hold for a year normally produces canned pink salmon and salmon roe. It employs about 150 workers, mostly from outside Alaska. But the plant helps pay fish tax for Petersburg, and both the salmon fishermen and plant workers spend money in town. The loss of one of the three operating processors will be an economic blow to the city, even it is only for one year.