March 4, 2025
The journey to seafood quality over quantity
"Pacific cod was increasingly important for us and other fixed gear sectors, but I was continually disappointed by the quality, handling, and execution of our shoreside cod sector," Eric Velsko shared. Photo courtesy of Kaia Fisheries
Part Two of Erik’s story. To read the previous article, click here.
The long road to independence
In 2012, I partnered on a 58-foot fixed-gear vessel with my father and a high school friend, looking to tender in the summer and then target cod, halibut, and sablefish the rest of the year. I had a young family and wanted to stay closer to home, so I transitioned fully off the Baranof in 2015. The partnership lasted about three years, but we ultimately found that the aging vessel could only really…
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Erik Velsko was born and raised in Homer, Alaska, and has spent his career as a commercial fisherman and industry advocate. From his early days fishing Cook Inlet for salmon and halibut on a modest 36’ family operation to his current vessel, Kaia, Erik has always embraced risk and innovation.
He spent much of his early career fishing for cod, crab, and sablefish in the Bering Sea, primarily in the catcher-processor sector, and has been a Bristol Bay gillnetter for 20 years—spending summers aboard the Vestige with his daughter. He is also part owner of the Dangerous Cape, a 58’ combination vessel longlining for halibut and black cod. In the fall of 2019, Erik and his wife, Lacey, purchased the Kaia from a longtime industry participant.
The Kaia is the focus of these articles, highlighting quality improvements in the shoreside Pacific cod sector. Erik and Lacey have three children (Britta, Estelle, and Leo), all of whom have spent countless hours either at sea with their father or bored to death waiting in harbors while he speaks at length about the challenges facing Alaska’s seafood industry.
Check out Kaia Fisheries.
