A few weeks ago, my boat delivered a load of Pacific cod in Dutch Harbor, Alaska. While that’s a daily sight this time of year, this delivery was special.
After years of research and development, this was our first offload of pot-caught, gutted and bled, slurry-iced cod bound for fresh markets and custom processing in Seattle. The modest line-up of bright yellow Saeplast totes on the dock was a fraction of what a boat like ours typically delivers, but they represent a promising new endeavor more than two decades in the making.
My quest for quality began in January 2001 in the Bering Sea. I was a 17-year-old green deckhand fishing opilio crab on the Westward Wind, a 170-foot catcher-processor. After crab season, we ventured west to the Aleutian Islands for pot-cod season. I was impressed that the boat functioned as its own processor, and with all the onboard mechanisms that made it possible. The crab was butchered into sections, brine frozen, size graded, and packed into 40-pound cases for transport. Cod was headed and gutted, frozen and packaged according to size in 45-pound cases. The boat slowly filled with case after case of high-quality seafood.
This early lesson has stuck with me through my entire career, particularly now. It’s no secret that Alaska seafood is in one of its biggest slumps in modern history. People are looking for explanations — or culprits — and wondering how we’ll dig our way out this time.
My answer is, and has been for decades, quality.
An early education in value and viability
More than 10 years after that first season, I found myself on the M/V Baranof as first mate, searching the Bering Sea and Aleutians for Pacific cod and sablefish, as well as opilio, bairdi, and king crab. There, I really learned what attention to quality can do. Owners Chuck Hosmer and Doug Wells were always trying new product forms and quality strategies, especially for crab. Sure, it was a hassle to manage on board, but the value was clear: taking care of your catch pays off.
Before the opilio fishery crashed in 2022, we were processing more than 14 different grades of opilio crab. Similar vessels often did just three or four. We processed to the specs of individual buyers — Baranof product was blast frozen rather than brined, which slowed down processing but ultimately delivered higher quality. Fresh-frozen crab became a common product form as well. Some buyers even joined us on board to learn the process, and that is why Baranof’s products stood out in a competitive global market. Chuck and Doug were always searching for ways to get more value from their catch, no matter what it took.
Product quality was the single most important aspect of the operation. From our ex-Marine processing foreman Richie, to Captains Pat or Dennis, and me in the wheelhouse, we were all responsible. Richie and I worked together to ensure that we met buyer expectations and federal reporting and processing regulations. If anything went awry, the wheelhouse got a call from Chuck or Doug. These early mentors showed me firsthand that independent harvesters can set their own standards for quality. That we can determine our own market worth with work.
But it doesn’t happen overnight.
To read more of Erik’s story, follow the next article.
