Tag Archives: Selling fish off the boat

Part II: F/V St. Jude – A Taste for Tuna

Joe Malley has reeled in a lot of different fish in his over 40-year commercial fishing career, but tuna has a special place in his heart. And on his plate. “When I’m fishing halibut, the last thing I want to see on my plate is halibut,” he said. “If I’m fishing salmon, I don’t want even a beautiful King salmon. But when I’m fishing tuna, you can serve it to me all day, every day.” Tuna doesn’t have a big statement to make, Malley said. “It’s the perfect American fish – odorless, colorless, and tasteless. And tuna can be incorporated into dishes in so many ways; for instance, you can stir fry it just like chicken. For Malley, his wife Joyce, and their five-person crew, tuna is a way of life. The F/V St. Jude crew spends 12 months a year on a quest for albacore tuna — from the North Pacific in summer to the South Pacific in fall. >click to read< 12:37

The Adventure of an Unconventional Career

Joe Malley keeps a faded but well-loved copy of the December 1, 1999 edition of the Magnolia News as a reminder of his family’s commercial fishing journey over the last two-plus decades. The photo and headline above the fold features Malley, his wife Joyce, and their young son Liam (now 24) standing in front of their new (at the time) fishing vessel, moored at the Port of Seattle’s Fishermen’s Terminal, as they prepared to embark on a new journey. The St. Jude, a 95-foot-troller, still makes its home at  Fishermen’s Terminal today. Some things haven’t changed in the 23 years since the Magnolia News article was written. The St. Jude crew still fishes 12 months a year, chasing Albacore tuna from the North Pacific in summer to the South Pacific in fall. In between journeys they sell their catch off the St. Jude at Fishermen’s Terminal. >Photos, Video, click to read< 09:17

Finding local seafood is getting easier at America’s top fishing port, if you’re imagining a fish market, wipe away that image.

Unalaska is America’s fish capital. More seafood is hauled into Dutch Harbor than anywhere in the country, but for residents it’s not easy to find fresh fish unless they catch it themselves. At the local grocery stores even seafood caught in the Aleutians is exported before landing in freezer cases. But it’s getting a little easier to get locally caught seafood on the dinner table. It doesn’t happen often in Unalaska, but fishermen can sell their catch directly to customers. If you’re imagining a fish market, wipe away that image. Buying fresh seafood means going directly to a boat like Roger Rowland’s. >click to read< 14:13