Tag Archives: Summer chum
Company to boost Kotzebue summer chum operation
Following a slim couple of years, the summer Arctic keta, or chum, fishery in Kotzebue should see a significant boost this summer. Seattle-based E&E Foods, which runs both land-based and vessel operations in Bristol Bay, Southeast, and the Kenai Peninsula, plans to bring its floating processor to the waters outside of town this summer. “I feel really good about this opportunity where they’re going to be able to have a volume fishery now, and not have the limitations that they’ve had with a pure buy-and-fly-type fishery,” said Roger Stiles, business manager for the company’s Southcentral operations. E&E Foods is already planning to send its floating processor, the Cape Greig, to Bristol Bay for the area’s lucrative summer season. It will be accompanied by the freighter Sea Bird and combined, the two vessels have a carrying capacity of 1.2 million pounds of frozen finished product, Stiles said. After that seasons winds down at the end of July, the two boats will head up to Kotzebue and set up shop for the keta harvest, starting Aug. 1. Click here to read the story 13:27
Chinook closures impede summer chum subsistence
Summer chum and Chinook salmon have begun their runs along the Yukon River. Wildlife managers and fishermen met via teleconference Tuesday to discuss river conditions and the salmon’s progress upstream. Community members reported summer chum as far upriver as Huslia and Ruby, with Chinook salmon fast on their heels. However, the much-coveted kings may not be a welcome sight to fishermen this year. “We have to eat along this river; everybody has to eat. They can’t live out of the store,” said Martha, a fisherman in Ruby. Read the rest here 10:31
