Alaska Seafood

Salmon

Alaska is known for it's salmon. The flavor of Alaska Salmon depends upon fat content and the environment in which it matured. Alaska's water quality and the abundance of food sources give the area's salmon it's excellent flavor.

There are five species of wild Alaska salmon -
Sockeye or Red(Oncorhynchus nerka), Chinook or King(Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), Coho or Silver(Oncorhynchus kisutch), Keta or Chum (Oncorhynchus keta), and Pink or Humpy (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha).

Wild Alaska Salmon grow in the ocean, and spawn in the rivers. Salmon spawn once and die afterward. Wild Salmon eventually migrate to sea, then return to their stream of birth to spawn.

Alaska's statewide salmon harvest in 2008 was 146 million fish. The catch was a decrease of 31.4% from 2007 - still, it was the 16th largest catch since statehood in 1959. The value of the 2008 catch topped $400 million at the docks. Alaska's salmon catch was 212.6 million fish in 2007.

Alaska Pollock

The Alaska pollock fishery is the largest U.S. fishery, by volume. Annual catches average 2.5 billion pounds. The fishery meets the MSC's environmental standard for a well-managed and sustainable fishery. Because of its quality, abundance and versatility, Alaska pollock is used in more seafood products than any other fish species.

Other Alaska Whitefish

Pollock, Halibut, Sole, Cod, and Black Cod are all grouped as whitefish. These fish have flaky white flesh that is generally mild in flavor.

Crabs

Alaska is famous for it's delicious varieties of crabs. Among them, the king crab, snow crab and dungeness crabs.

King crabs are the largest of all the crabs caught in the world, weighing up to 10 pounds.

Snow Crabs are are another delicious Alaskan Crab. Frozen snow crabs are available worldwide, cleaned and pre-cooked, ready to heat and serve.

Dungeness crabs are known for their high quality meat. The 2-3 lb crabs are steamed and served whole.

Scallops

Alaska Scallops are largest scallops available. The highly prized shellfish have a sweet flavor and firm texture.

Commercial fishermen unloaded 612.7 million pounds of fish and shellfish at the port of Dutch Harbor-Unalaska, Alaska, in 2008, mostly pollock, making it the country's top port for the amount of fish landed for the 20th consecutive year according to NOAA's Fisheries Service.

The value of Alaska's 2007 seafood harvest was the second highest in state history, despite a 1.9 percent decrease from 2006.

The overall value of Alaska's exports decreased to $3.9 billion in 2007, down from $4 billion in 2006.

NOAA, together with State of Alaska and University of Alaska Fairbanks partners cooperated to build two artificial reefs made of stone in the waters of Lynn Canal, in Southeast Alaska just north of Juneau.

The reefs are in 18 to 25 feet of water and are designed to enhance near-shore marine habitat for fish and invertebrates. NOAA Fisheries initiated the project through discussions with the Alaska Department of Transportation, reviewed the research proposal and obtained all required state and federal permits.

The University of Alaska Fairbanks designed the project and study plan and completed extensive surveys of the seafloor and existing local rocky reefs. The Alaska Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration provided engineering expertise, funding, and contracting services for the project as partial mitigation for the planned Juneau Access Improvement Project.

The two structures, each 30 feet wide by 100 feet long, were placed on sandy bottom and incorporate about 30% open space between the rocks to provide habitat for fish and marine invertebrates such as juvenile rockfish, shrimp and eels.

The depth and design are intended to support the settling and growth of kelp and other seaweeds that provide ideal spawning habitat for Pacific herring.

For additional information, please contact Christopher.M.Moore@noaa.gov, phone (301) 713-2379.

Dungeness Crabs are caught from Alaska to California. They are prized for their delicate flavor.

The Pacific Dungeness crab stock is quite cyclical, and may be ready for a rebound. New research techniques in development seek to forecast stock size three or four years ahead of time.

Commercial Dungeness crabbing vessels operate in some of the winter's worst weather in hazardous waters and have the highest fatality rate of any West Coast fishery. "Operation Safe Crab" is the United States Coast Guard's continuing initiative to reduce the number of fisherman's lives lost at sea.

Clean Boating for Alaskans
Price: Free
ISBN: 978-1-56612-150-7

This FREE, 28-page, color illustrated booklet provides great tips for Alaska boat operators on how to save fuel, keep boat operation and maintenance green, mitigate marine debris, respect wildlife, and access new boat technology.

You may order single or bulk quantities. Display them on your counter for mariners to take, distribute them to your coworkers, etc. The publication is a collaboration of the Alaska Marine Conservation Council, the National Park Service, and the Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program.

Order your free copies online at AlaskaSeaGrant.org/bookstore

A new book is available from Alaska Sea Grant. The resource, entitled Field Guide to Common Marine Fishes and Invertebrates of Alaska, by Susan C. Byersdorfer and Leslie J. Watson has color photographs and descriptions of more than 400 marine species.

The waterproof book is valuable for at-sea biologists and technicians doing fisheries surveys, and is useful to fishermen, teachers, and everyone who wants to know what they've caught or what an animal looks like.

The geographic range is the eastern Bering Sea, central Aleutian Islands, western and central Gulf of Alaska, and north of Norton Sound and southeastern Alaska. As research biologists at the Alaska Department of Fish and Game in Kodiak, the authors have studied Alaska biota for several decades.

John Hilsinger, director of Commercial Fisheries Division, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, give the book high praise, "A great reference for the marine biologist, fisherman, or scuba diver. The excellent color photos, written descriptions, and extensive glossary work together to make this guide very easy to use."

At 360 pages, the book sells for $35. To order a copy, go to http://seagrant.uaf.edu/bookstore/pubs/SG-ED-67.html.