Tag Archives: Columnist Craig Medred

For Sale

In the wake of a November warning that the entire industry is in trouble because of global market conditions, Trident Tuesday announced that it was launching a “comprehensive restructuring initiative” that called for “streamlining” and modernizing its 49th state operations. Or, in other words, it is trying to offload a third of its 12 processing operations, including one of the biggest. Industry insiders had been forecasting significant changes in one of the state’s main industries since processors paid high prices for a record run of Bristol Bay sockeye in 2022 only to be left holding the bag as both demand and prices dropped. But major downsizing by Trident, which has long promoted itself as “Anchored in Alaska,” still caught many by surprise. more, >>click to read<< 06:27

A business in crisis

After years of choking on record runs of Bristol Bay sockeye salmon and near-record runs of heavily farmed, low-value pink salmon, the Alaska fishing industry is in chaos with processors now pleading for more government subsidies and coddled commercial fishermen demanding yet more disaster aid. One could blame global warming, which has led to historically unprecedented harvests of Alaska salmon despite whatever nonsense to the contrary the mainstream media might have reported, but the industry’s problems are far more complex than just trying to sell high-priced seafood in Western markets where the sales of animal protein are dominated by chicken, beef and pork. Some of the industry’s issues here are rooted in its long history. For most of the years after commercial fishing began in Alaska in the late 1800s, the business dealt almost wholly in canned salmon. >>click to read<< 08:41

Story off base in characterization of Alaska fisheries board appointee

I have concerns about the recent article of Feb. 4 in the Alaska Dispatch News, “Did Alaska Fish Board appointee really discover an endangered species?” I am Professor James Butler from the University of Alberta, and I was quoted in this article that is critical of the recent appointment by Gov. Bill Walker of Dr. Roland Maw to the state of Alaska Board of Fisheries. Read the rest here 07:33

Craig Medred Trashes Fisherman, He Responds – Dispatch News fall short of journalistic standards

alaska dispatchMy name is Wally Page. I’ve been a Cook Inlet commercial fisherman since before statehood. I’m nobody special, just a regular Alaskan working hard to support my family. I’m not someone “in the news.” Nevertheless, on July 21 of this year, the Alaska Dispatch News published a long article entitled, Fish wars obscure need to manage for economic yield.” It was written by regular Dispatch columnist Craig Medred and focused on me. Read the rest here  07:02