Something is broken in the economics of the state’s fishing industry and the communities that have long depended upon it. Can Washington come to the

For Generations of Alaskans, a Livelihood Is Under Threat

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2024-09-03 00:30:05

Something is broken in the economics of the state’s fishing industry and the communities that have long depended upon it. Can Washington come to the rescue?

Trenton Clark, captain of the F/V Liberty, fishes outside Metlakatla, a community that revitalized its fish processing plant this year with help from a startup company. Credit...

Petersburg, Alaska, is as pretty a seaside town as any you’ll find across the filigree of fjords and foggy islands that make up the state’s maritime coast. Statuary and floral designs evidence its proud Scandinavian heritage, and bald eagles soar across the narrow strait that separates it from a national forest. It doesn’t have room for the giant cruise ships that disgorge thousands of passengers into Ketchikan and Juneau, but it is perfectly situated for its sustaining industry: fishing.

Norwegian fishermen settled in Petersburg in the 1800s, finding it an ideal jumping off point to pursue salmon, crab and halibut. Hundreds of vessels now dock in there and sell their catch to the two major processors, which head and gut the fish before either canning or freezing it on its eventual path to the dinner table. One of the plants was built more than a century ago, and its owner is the town’s largest private employer.