Makah fishermen add value to catch at home by processing own fish fillets

value added fisheryIt took 10 years, but today, the Makah Cape Flattery Fisherman’s Co-op in Neah Bay has realized the goal of processing its own fish fillets, adding value to the fish and jobs to the community. Every step of processing done outside of Neah Bay is money that leaves the village. The co-op is happy to be in the business of filleting and packaging their own catch. “The goal of the board of the co-op and the fishermen members was always to get back to processing our own fish,” said Joey Lawrence, Makah Co-op general manager. It took several big investments on the part of the co-op, including the purchase of a machine that adds ozone to water. The ozone kills bacteria and keeps it from growing on the fish for seven days.  “It increases the shelf life of the fish, especially since we’re not trucking it away from here to undergo this process,” Lawrence said. Read the story here 10:38

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