SPECIES MANIFESTO

TROLL CAUGHT PACIFIC SALMON (ONCORHYNCHUS)

Wild Alaskan salmon are one of the best managed fisheries in the country (if not the world). Wild salmon are sensitive to a variety of stressors, both on land and at sea. Climate change, habitat loss from dam construction and urban development, and degraded water quality from agricultural and logging practices take a toll on wild salmon populations. With salmon, managing impacts to habitat and fishing pressure are equally important to ensure long-term sustainability. Alaskans Own wild salmon are troll-caught in the cool, crisp waters of the Gulf of Alaska. Trollers are small fishing vessels operated by independent fishing families who "troll" baited hooks and artificial lures through the water to catch fish one at a time. Trollers fish on the open ocean and catch salmon when they are "bright," or at their peak quality. Careful individual handling helps maintain this quality. Each fish is stunned, brought on board, gill bled and chilled on ice within minutes of landing on a hook. Careful cleaning and quick icing ensures superb flavor and texture. The quality of troll-caught Alaskan salmon is unmatched. Hook and line gear avoids bruising and scale loss associated with salmon net fisheries. Because of the time consuming care, troll-caught salmon generally comprise less than 10% of the total Alaskan salmon catch. No fish is treated with more care from the time it leaves the water until it arrives on your plate.

KING SALMON
(ONCORHYNCHUS TSHAWYTSCHA)

Wild King salmon, also known as Chinook, have a rich color, full flavor and are loaded with healthy Omega-3's. They are the culinary world's salmon of choice, prized for their color, high oil content, firm texture and succulent flesh. King salmon are the largest Pacific salmon and typically reach about 30 to 40 inches and about 20 pounds.

COHO SALMON
(ONCORHYNCHUS KISUTCH)

Wild Coho salmon's mild flavor, bright red flesh and firm texture make it widely popular among fish connoisseurs. Their size and excellent color retention make them particularly amenable to both freezing and smokin. They are also called Silver salmon, for their lustrous silver shine when swimming in the ocean. Coho salmon are the second largest salmon species, ranging from 25 to 35 inches in length and with average weight of 12 pounds.

KING SALMON
(ONCORHYNCHUS TSHAWYTSCHA)

Alaskans Own fishermen use benthic longline gear on family-owned fishing vessels, generally less than 60 feet in length. Longlining is a passive fishing technique that has been used sustainably for more than 150 years. Fishermen set groundlines along the ocean floor, with short branch lines attached every few yards ending in a baited hook. The lines are left to soak, then retrieved. This longline fishery does not damage benthic habitats and can select fish species and size by choice of hook size and design.

PACIFIC HALIBUT
(HIPPOGLOSSUS STENOLEPIS)

Alaskans Own wild halibut are caught in the Gulf of Alaska. Firm, white fillets and mild flavor make halibut easy to prepare and adaptable to a variety of cooking methods. halibut.jpg Pacific halibut are flatfish inhabiting the continental shelf of the U.S. and Canada. Their range extends from California to the Bering Sea and into Russia and Japan. They can grow to be as big as 500 pounds. The Alaska halibut season opens in mid-March and runs through mid-November. Alaskans Own halibut are caught with benthic longline gear on family-owned fishing vessels, generally less than 60 feet in length. Longline is a fishing technique where hundreds of baited hooks branch from a single line. Benthic longlines make use of a groundline set along the sea floor, with short branch lines called gangions attached every few yards ending in a baited hook. This longline fishery does not damage benthic habitats and can select fish species and size by choice of hook size and design. Halibut are large fish: by employing a relatively large hook size, our fishermen reduce unwanted capture of smaller fish.

LINGCOD
(OPHIODON ELONGATUS)

Alaskans Own wild lingcod are versatile white fish caught in the Gulf of Alaska. They are neither a ling nor a cod, but with their white and flaky flesh, they have some resemblance to both of those fish. Lingcod can grow up to 60 inches and 130 pounds. They are spotted in various shades of grey, and sometimes have a blue-green flesh prior to cooking. Lingcod are unique to the west coast of North America. They live on the sea floor, mostly occupying rocky areas at depths of 32 to 328 feet. The northern population of lingcod as rebounded dramatically over the last few years. Although the southern population has stabilized, it hasn't fully recovered. Lingcod are caught in limited quantities in the halibut and sablefish longline fisheries.

ROCKFISH
(SEBASTES)

Alaskans Own rockfish are caught by longline in the Gulf of Alaska. They have a firm fillet and a delicate flavor well suited to Cajun-style "blackened" rockfish, chowder, or light sauces. There are numerous species of rockfish in the Gulf of Alaska, all of which are slow growing, late to mature, and long-lived. They can reach up to 3.5 feet and 39 pounds. Juveniles prefer rocky reefs, kelp canopies and artificial structures such as piers and oil platforms. Adults move into deeper water, typically between 300 to 590 feet, and can be found on rocky bottoms and outcrops. Rockfish are most commonly found from central California northward to the Gulf of Alaska, and are fished in limited quantities in the halibut and sablefish longline fisheries.

SABLEFISH
(ANOPLOPOMA FIMBRIA)

Alaskans Own wild sablefish, also known as black cod, live in cold, deep waters (up to 3,000 feet down). They have a rich, buttery flavor, with unmatched Omega-3 content. Snow-white sablefish fillets flake perfectly and are melt-in-your-mouth delicious. Sablefish are found in the northeastern Pacific Ocean from northern Mexico to the Gulf of Alaska, through to the Aleutian Islands and into the Bering Sea. Sablefish grow rapidly during their first several years, reaching an average length of 27.5 inches and weight of 7.5 pounds. The Alaska sablefish season opens in mid-March and runs through mid-November.