WHAT'S A CSF?
Alaskans Own was the first community supported fishery (CSF) in Alaska. It’s modeled on community supported agriculture (CSA) programs that deliver fresh produce from local farmers. Every month, AO members receive a shipment of sustainably caught, flash-frozen wild fish.
HOW DO I KNOW WHAT KIND OF FISH I'LL GET EACH MONTH?
As with all things wild, the exact combination of species each month can be hard to predict. What we can guarantee, is that subscribers will receive all six of our Alaskan species over the course of the season. Each share will contain some combination of halibut, rockfish, lingcod, sablefish, king and coho salmon. Check out our species manifesto for (a lot) more information on each fish.
HOW LONG IS A SEASON?
We offer Seasonal Seafood Boxes all year round and 4, 6 and 8 month subscriptions during the months the fishing season is at its height – May through December. Our CSF is structured around the fishermen’s schedules, and their schedules are structured around the fish. The halibut and sablefish fisheries open only after those fish have spawned, then have a long slow season that spans from March all the way until November. Troll fishermen wait until later in the summer for salmon to start heading back towards the rivers. But the result is that the fish you’re getting is being harvested at the height of the season for each species.
HOW DO YOU DECIDE HOW MUCH TO CHARGE?
A lot of factors go into calculating the cost of the CSF. We have to account for fluctuations in the dock price of each fish over the course of the season, which are hard for both us and the fishermen to predict. Taking into account the mix of more expensive (King, Halibut and Sablefish) and less expensive (Lingcod, Coho and Rockfish) fish species, we have generally succeeded in charging roughly the average of the market prices for each fish. Fluctuations in Alaska Air Cargo prices can also impact the price of a subscription.
WHAT DOES RESPONSIBLY CAUGHT MEAN?
All of our fisheries are certified sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council. Alaskans Own fishermen operate small, community-based troll (not trawl) and longline boats and deliver their catch locally. Our fishermen work together to protect marine habitat and promote best fishing practices.
WHERE DOES THE MONEY GO?
Alaskans Own is run as a program of the non-profit Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association (ALFA), in partnership with the Alaska Sustainable Fisheries Trust. We run a tight ship, and rely on volunteers to help with our operations. Profits go straight back into the resource conservation work of ALFA’s Fishery Conservation Network and our Health and Resiliency Programs.
WHAT IS A FISHERY CONSERVATION NETWORK AND WHAT DOES IT DO?
ALFA’s Fishery Conservation Network is a unique collaboration between fishermen and scientists to promote resource stewardship. Some current projects include research into helping longliners avoid whales, increasing boats’ fuel efficiency and creating collaborative maps of the ocean floor to help fishermen avoid non-target species. You can learn lots more about these and other projects by visiting the ALFA website.
WHERE DO YOU OFFER CSF SHARES? CAN YOU EXPAND TO MY COMMUNITY?
Currently, we offer our CSF in Sitka, Juneau, Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Seattle. However, we are always on the lookout to expand to new communities! Just drop us a line, and we’ll try and find a way to get you some quality fish.
DO YOU TAKE WHOLESALE ORDERS?
Do we ever! Call 907-738-1286 or email bulksales@alaskansown.com for pricing and availability. If you’re a business or restaurant, get in touch too – we would love to work with you. Not only will you receive great fish, but if you would like, we can tell you all about the fishermen who caught it.