ALASKA SEAFOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRY
Timothy Tilsworth, Associate Professor
Department of Civil and Environmental Quality Engineering
University of Alaska
Fairbanks, Alaska 99701
William D. Morgan, Jr.
Field Operations Manager, Northern Region
Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation
Fairbanks, Alaska 99701
INTRODUCTION
The seafood industry in Alaska is one of the most significant and important portions of the
nation's seafood production effort. The economic value of the seafoods landed in Alaska is the
highest of the fifty states, and the volume landed is exceeded by only one other state [1], The
wholesale value exceeded $640 million in 1977. Pacific salmon, shrimp, and crab are the major
fisheries harvested off Alaska's 32,000 mile coastline, and the extent of the catch is influenced by
Public Law 96-265, which regulates the fisheries harvest within 200 miles of the coast. The majority
of the catch is processed in shore-based plants located from Ketchikan in Southeast Alaska to
Kotzebue on the northern coast. Kodiak, Dutch Harbor, Cordova, Petersburg, and Wrangel have
numerous processors near the communities while other isolated plants are located in remote areas,
especially along the Aleutian Islands and Bristol Bay. The number of plants that operate annually has
varied in recent years from 100 to 200 depending on the commerical harvest. Figure 1 shows the
general location of the processors. The industry is highly seasonal with many plants operating intermittently and often processing more than one type of seafood. Most of these locations are not situated
along the interconnecting highway system and, therefore, depend upon air or sea transportation.
The importance of the industry to the State cannot be overemphasized. It contributes significantly
to the State's economy and employment force and is one of only five major industries in the State, including mining, forestry, petroleum, and tourists. This report is an overview of the seafood industry
and its environmental considerations. More detailed information on many aspects of the industry are
available in the literature [2,3,4,5].
SEAFOOD PROCESS DESCRIPTION
The seafood industry consists primarily of salmon, shrimp, and crab; however, other seafoods of
importance but of less significance include halibut, herring, scallops, clams, salmon roe, bottom fish,
and fish byproducts. Substantial potential exists for future increased bottom fish processing.
Salmon
Salmon are harvested during the summer as they return to fresh water streams to spawn. The salmon catch includes Chinook, Sockeye, Silver, Pink, and Chum. In recent years between three and
four hundred million pounds of salmon have been landed in Alaska annually, constituting about 86%
of the U.S. harvest. The majority of this catch is processed mechanically and canned; however, some
are hand-butchered for the fresh or frozen market. The mechanical process butchers the fish and
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