Tag Archives: Ketchikan
Fishermen and community leaders react to Trident announcement to sell a third of its Alaska plants
Gerry Cobban Knagin is a commercial fisherman. She and her family have fished around Kodiak and sold their harvest to Trident Seafoods, one of the largest seafood processors in the country, on and off for decades. But on Dec. 12, the company announced it’s selling off about a third of its Alaska processing plants, including their year-round facility in Kodiak. She said the announcement was a huge shock for almost everyone on the island. “Speaking with [Trident] management, there wasn’t any heads up for anyone,” Knagin said. “And they decided, according to management, that they wanted full transparency so that the fleet would know.” Photos, more, >>click to read<< 20:44
Crew escapes with their lives after F/V Mount Pavlof sinks near Ketchikan
Four fishermen escaped with their lives over the weekend after a seine vessel sank south of Ketchikan. Crewmembers from another fishing boat heard their distress call over the radio and arrived in time to rescue them. Around 3 a.m. Sunday, Pete Feenstra says he and a three-person crew were readying themselves for a salmon opener south of Ketchikan. Then he heard a mayday call from the radio. The Mount Pavlof, a fellow seiner, needed help. Feenstra says he looked at the navigation system aboard his 56-foot seiner, the Noble Provider, and saw that the vessel in distress was less than a mile away. And he knew what he had to do. Audio report, >click to listen/read< 08:09
Obituary: Captain Michael Lee Lindgren of Ketchikan – Commercial Fisherman
Michael Lee Lindgren, 65, died April 26, 2021, peacefully at home after a short battle with cancer. He was born on Nov. 20, 1955, in Mason County, Washingon. “Mike had a lifelong passion for fishing that started at a young age when he would go shrimping with his beloved Grandpa Johnny in Hoodsport, Washington,” He moved to Ketchikan in 1979 to work at Whitman Lake Hatchery, where he met Jill, who would later become his wife. After working at the hatchery, he worked as a deckhand on a longliner, troller, seiner, tender and processor. In 1991, he bought the F/V Seven Seas, a wooden fishing vessel built in 1944,,, >click to read< 10:13
Obituary: Nevin Stanley May, Ketchikan, Alaska – Commercial Fisherman
Born in Prentice, WI, Nevin came to Ketchikan in 1967. In his words, “I thought it was the greatest place you could imagine. It was wide open, you could do just about anything you wanted.,,, Nevin began his storied career as a commercial troller soon thereafter and continued for more than 40 years, selling the F/V Cheryl in 2012. Through his years fishing, he made friends (and probably some enemies too!) with local, state, and federal politicians, and helped to shape some of today’s fishing regulations. He co-founded the Alaska Trollers Association and was a board member for several years. He was also a member of the Seafood Producers Co-Op, and served as chairman of the board from 2001-2002. Nevin was an avid hunter, both locally and nationally. >click to read< 10:05
Humpback whale boosts spirits in struggling Alaskan town
A humpback whale has been frequenting Ketchikan, Alaska, almost daily for the past month, helping to lift spirits as the city reels from a lack of tourism. The whale, nicknamed Phoenix, is feeding on herring and possibly salmon fry with dramatic upward lunges, sometimes just yards from onlookers on docks and walkways. As days shorten and a bleak winter approaches, more residents are discovering the joy of searching for Phoenix throughout the channel fronting the town. photos, >click to read< 08:02
Fighting ALS One Crab Leg at a Time
The Dwyer family has strong ties to Ketchikan and Alaska. Jenny Gore Dwyer was born and raised in Ketchikan. She can trace her family roots back to captain John Gore who sailed with Captain Cook as they tried to discover the “infamous” Northwest Passage. Jenny met her husband Pat on board a fishing vessel in Ketchikan in the mid 1980’s and together they started their fishing business, St. George Marine Inc. After her beloved husband passed away from ALS in June 2013, Jenny became sole owner and president of St. George Marine, working with her children Sean and Brenna to continue to run and grow the family business. Captain Sean Dwyer is currently featured in the Discovery Channel’s hit series Deadliest Catch. More importantly the Dwyer family has become relentless in their goal of eradicating ALS through the Pat Dwyer Fund. >click to read<For more information on the Pat Dwyer Fund >click here< 13:31
Cruise ship arrives in port with massive whale carcass on bow
A cruise ship reached an Alaska port with a surprise on its bow: the carcass of a humpback whale. The Grand Princess, a 290 metre ship pulled into Ketchikan yesterday with the marine mammal lodged on its submerged, bulbous bow, a device designed to avoid wave-making. Princess spokesman Brian O’Connor said the company was surprised and saddened to discover the whale. “It is unknown how or when this happened as the ship felt no impact,” he said in a statement. “It is also unknown, at this time, whether the whale was alive or already deceased before becoming lodged on the bow.” The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is investigating the incident. click here to read the story 15:28
Ketchikan fishermen fined for violating Lacey Act
Three fishermen from Ketchikan admitted to violating a federal wildlife law on Tuesday for illegally catching halibut without the proper permits and selling it to a seafood restaurant at below market rates. Prosecutors say it was a failed ploy by the business owner to keep the eatery from going under. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Schmidt said the investigation showed Thornlow began having financial difficulties with the restaurant and recruited the three fishermen to catch halibut illegally to save him money and earn some for the fishermen. Read the article here 09:06
2013 Marine Debris Cleanup Projects Announced
SitNews) Ketchikan, Alaska – The Alaska Marine Stewardship Foundation announced today that it will be conducting eight marine debris cleanup projects throughout Alaska this season with several of the cleanup projects located in southeast. continued
