“I am humbled and honored to receive this award. Without workforce programs offered by the State of Alaska and many other states, along with the local support of Governor Dunleavy, state Labor Commissioner Ledbetter, and Deputy Labor Commissioner San Juan, and my Human Resources team, achieving a sustainable workforce year after year would have been very difficult for Copper River Seafoods.”

- Scott Blake, President and CEO of Copper River Seafoods

Founded in 1996, Copper River Seafoods focuses on wild-caught, sustainable seafood, operating in the majority of Alaska’s salmon fisheries.

Scott Blake, President and CEO of Copper River Seafoods accepting the 2019 NASWA Business of the Year Award from NASWA President Anna Hui.

From left to right,Deputy Labor Commissioner San Juan, Scott Blake (President and CEO of Copper River Seafoods), State Labor Commissioner Ledbetter, and NASWA President Anna Hui.

Copper River Seafoods NASWA 2019 Presentation Video

Copper River Seafoods has received the first fresh catch of Copper River King and Sockeye Salmon for the 2019 season. Direct from our fisherman to your plate.

After delivering the first Copper River King Salmon to the chefs in Seattle, we kicked off the 2019 Salmon Season with our annual Salmon Season Kick-Off Party at 49th State Brewing Co.

The fleet of fishermen returning with holds full of salmon.

Copper River Salmon at its freshest.

Copper River Seafoods presents the First Copper River King Salmon to the chefs of Seattle.

Copper River Seafoods present the prize 50lb class and 30lb class Copper River King Salmon.

The food sampling and conversation made this party a success.

What do you see? What do you hear? Taste? Feel?

I can smell the sea. Taste the salt in the air, hear the waves cresting and falling as they brush against the boat. And I can feel the chill from the Alaskan water as it lands against my skin …

FACT: There are roughly 10,000 glaciers in the Prince William Sound.
FACT: There are no salmon farms in Alaska (nor are there any fin-fish farms) so if you see salmon, regardless of the variety, that hails from our 49th state, you can be assured its wild-caught.

Today, delivered to my front door courtesy of the Copper River & Prince William Sound Marketing Association, sockeye salmon fresh off the boat in the PWS. Happiness ensues. Want this same kind of happiness delivered to you … consider ordering direct from Copper River Seafoods. Not only will you be supporting the hardworking men and women who fish Alaskan waters, you’ll also be getting a superior product. Give it a try, and if you do, drop me a line and let me know what you order.

An excerpt from an article I wrote last year about the PWS and the Copper
Every year come mid-May, in south central Alaska, there is a massive exodus. But it’s not snowbirds vacating their homes in search of warmer weather—I mean, why would they leave when the temperature is teetering near 60? Mild by Midwest standards, but darn near sauna-like for Alaskans. Still, the exodus happens … and it’s been happening at the same time every year since the Ice Ages.

Alaska’s Prince William Sound is home to the Copper River—a glacial-fed river with a nearly 35-mile-wide gorge where the river dumps over 500,000 cubic feet of water per second into the Gulf of Alaska, and where thousands of young salmon leave their birthplace in the Copper to feed at sea for the next few years. Then, some two to seven years later, the now-adult salmon leave the Gulf to make their 300-mile-long journey home to spawn—an arduous task fueled by their high concentration of omega-3 fatty acids, an inimitable trait that makes salmon, especially those from the Copper River, one of the most coveted of all seafoods, worldwide … READ MORE

This is how salmon is supposed to look. Bright. Cheery. Happy. The flesh is bright, cheery almost happy looking. It’s not dull. It’s not limp. It’s not heavy. It’s springy to touch, light and has a clean, fresh scent.

The Copper River & Prince William Sound Marketing Association is a fisherman funded non-profit based in Cordova, Alaska. The organization works directly with the men and women who fish for wild salmon and work tirelessly to bring the prized fish to tables across America.

Coming up next week on the blog … Chefs against blue fin tuna, and why you need to join the cause … and more about Alaskan salmon and the Copper River. Until then, here are few short reads to tide you over:

Read more about salmon varieties in my Complete Guide to Salmon
How to cook salmon at home
Why I don’t eat Faroe Island salmon
Want more from The Midwest Mermaid? Be sure to follow along here, and on Instagram for all the latest in seafood news and chews | @shaunanosler

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DISCLAIMER: I’m a writer and an editor. And I try my best to make sure every post is articulate and free from errors. However, being that I edit my own work—and it’s next to impossible to properly edit your own work—I admit, occasionally there may be an error or two I miss. But doing so doesn’t make me an idiot so don’t be mean. Just smile, pat yourself on the back for finding an error and be glad you’re not the only one who makes mistakes sometimes … yes, even mermaids slip up every now and then. xoxox

Every year since he opened Copper River Seafoods in 1996, Scott Blake has put on an event celebrating the first run, and this year he did something different, opening it to the public for an event at 49th State Brewing Company. Four of the top chefs in Alaska set up in the banquet room, each of them eager to ply their take on the fattiest and oiliest kings they’ll see all summer.

“It’s gotten to be (a religious event). It’s an exciting time; it marks the spring time, the season when we all go out and make our living,” Blake said. “It’s a pretty important part of our culture.”

For the 23rd straight year, Margy Johnson, better known as the ‘Mermaid of Cordova’, and more officially on her resumé, a former mayor of Cordova, was on hand, decked out in a colorful dress with tiara and scepter to boot.

“I’ve been here since it started in 1996, and before that I’d go up and down the west coast with a fish in my hand promoting salmon,” Johnson said, before politely agreeing to have her photo taken next to the 35-pound king salmon, valued at $1,000 that was the grand door prize at Saturday’s event. “What I’ve noticed most is that the recipes here have changed so much. There’s salmon sushi that’s absolutely fabulous and salmon tacos.”

Both of those dishes were the handiwork of 49th State chefs Thomas Chapman and Daniel Shier.

Posted up next to them was the table of Chef Jeremy Fike from Glacier Brewhouse, who drew plenty of attention applying his blowtorch to panfuls of his Cremé Brulee Copper River Sockeye Salmon.

“It’s really the first day of true salmon that’s fresh,” Fike said. “It’s the opener; the Holy Grail is the first day.”

Technically, Fike’s dish was made with king salmon, which always runs a few days ahead of the sockeye.

“This king salmon has all the Omega 3 fatty acids — it’s so big and oily and yummy,” Fike said. “It’s easy to undercook it or overcook it, so you’ve got to get it right in the middle.”

Westmark head chef Steven Davis and his ‘right-hand man’ chef Tim Stevens, presented one of their most popular menu items, ‘Pecan and Maple Crusted Copper River Sockeye with Mushroom Potato Hash’. They, too, had to substitute king for sockeye, which Davis said was somewhat surprising.

“It’s the content of the fat in the fish,’ Davis said. “When they’re coming in when the waters are cold you get that really good, high content of fat. The lower down the estuary, the fresher they will be.”

Of course, the running of the salmon precedes the even more lucrative running that follows.

“The kings are running the first week and the tourists are running right behind them,” Davis said. “For us, (tourist season) started about three or four days ago.”

Though the winter was relatively mild, the spring has been delayed in its coming, which, Blake said, contributed to the kings running ahead of the sockeye even more than usual.

“We’re just a little on the front side of the run and the kings come a little earlier,” Blake said. “Normally, the warmer the water, the fish come a little sooner. It’s all about the temperature of the water and the depth of the river. The later the spring, the later the fish.”

Anchorage, Alaska - Copper River Seafoods and 49th State Brewing Co. - Anchorage are inviting the community to celebrate the kick-off of Alaska's annual summer salmon season at the 49th State Brewing Company in downtown Anchorage on Saturday, May 19th from 2pm to 5pm.

Live music will be provided by Blaze and Eric and the summer salmon season's first commercially harvested Copper River sockeye salmon will be showcased in a variety of award-winning dishes by five of Alaska's most beloved Chefs from 49^th State Brewing Co, Orso, Glacier Brewhouse, Westmark Anchorage and 229 Parks.

49^th State Brewing Co will be celebrating the release of their new beer, “Fish On!” Guests have the opportunity to win door prizes including: Crowlers of Fish On!, freshly filleted and packed Copper River salmon, 49^th State outdoor gear, Edible Alaska package, and more.

This is a family friendly event and children under 12 are free. Tickets to this event are $15 and can be purchased at https://salmonseasonkickoff.brownpapertickets.com or at the door. We are encouraging the community to buy tickets in advance as space is limited.

Come join your fellow Alaskans and celebrate the start of Alaska’s summer season with delicious salmon dishes, live music, and hopefully sun!

Media is invited to attend early at 1:45pm to take a sneak peek of the finished dishes and to interview Chefs.

PRESS CONTACTS:

Marty Weiser, Chief Development Officer Copper River Seafoods, 907.865.5003, mweiser@crsalaska.com

Ellen Maloney, Promotions, Events, and Social Media Director, 49th State Brewing Co., 312.623.5549 promotions@dv3corp.com

Alaska Journal of Commerce

Copper River Seafoods highlighted its emerging role as a mainstay in the Alaska economy in a short ceremony Jan. 8 that celebrated selling 250,000 pounds of fish per year to Walmart and Sam’s Club.

Even in winter, the plant on the shores of Ship Creek is filled with 100 employees cutting frozen fillets into portions that go out the door destined for plates in Alaska and the Lower 48.

About 30,000 to 40,000 pounds of sockeye and kita, or chum salmon, per week continue to be processed throughout the winter, according Copper River Seafoods CEO Scott Blake.

Plants like Copper River Seafoods in Anchorage are maximizing seafood jobs in the state’s economy and the blue ocean economy framework, said Alyssa Rodrigues, economic development manager at the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development.

“Copper River is able to sustain 100 year-round jobs when most of our seafood jobs aren’t year-round,” Rodrigues said at the event, which included brief comments by Anchorage Mayor Ethan Berkowitz, Blake and Walmart officials.

What’s different from traditional seafood marketing is this mainstay of jobs are created from value-added frozen fillets. Filets cut into portions go into a “Members Mark” packaging that indicates the partnership between Copper River Seafoods and Walmart.

April 21, 2015: Anchorage, Alaska – Today, Copper River Seafoods’ ownership group announced the acquisition of a new salmon processing facility and associated assets in Bristol Bay, Alaska. The facility, previously known as Extreme Salmon, is located in Naknek, Alaska.

“The timing couldn’t be better, we’re increasing processing capacity and supporting fishermen of the region during a projected banner year,” said Scott Blake, President and CEO of Copper River Seafoods.

Access to the sockeye salmon resources of Bristol Bay is the next logical step in Copper River Seafoods’ ongoing statewide expansion. The Naknek operations will create approximately 70 new seasonal jobs in the region, adding to Copper River Seafoods' workforce of 600 people at peak season throughout the state.

“Our plan is for the Naknek operations to produce a mix of frozen headed and gutted sockeye salmon and fresh sockeye fillets, increasing our total production by 4-5 million pounds,” said Blake. The new acquisition strengthens Copper River Seafoods’ position as one of the major wild sockeye producers in the United States.

In line with Copper River Seafoods’ facilities in Anchorage, Cordova, Kenai, Togiak, and Kotzebue, salmon from the Naknek, Alaska plant will be Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), Responsible Fisheries Management (RFM), and United States Department of Commerce (USDC) HACCP QMP certified. In addition to these certifications, the facility will also operate under Global Food Safety Initiative Standards (British Retail Consortium).

“We are working swiftly to ensure the plant is fully operational in time for the start of the 2015 Bristol Bay sockeye salmon season and plan to invest several million dollars in the Naknek plant over the next three years,” said Rodger May, a partner in the new operation.

“We are operating in Alaska, using Alaskan resources, and creating Alaskan jobs. For me, that’s what it’s all about,” said Blake.

About Copper River Seafoods

In 1996, Scott Blake, a fourth generation commercial fisherman, partnered with three other fishermen to establish Copper River Seafoods. The primary driver behind the formation of the company was to protect the fishermen of Alaska by ensuring the opportunities they had would be available for the next generation. Today Copper River Seafoods, which operates facilities in Cordova, Anchorage, Kenai, Naknek, Togiak, and Kotzebue, Alaska is a professional food manufacturing firm that provides economic sustainability for Alaskan fishermen and the State of Alaska. Learn more at www.copperriverseafoods.com.

Press Contact: Cassandra Squibb, Chief Marketing Officer, Copper River Seafoods, 907-522-7806