A Fisherman’s World, Petersburg

Trident Seafoods Cannery, Petersburg

Tonka Seafoods, Petersburg

Commercial fishing is big business in Petersburg with approximately 600 commercial fishing vessels.  Fishermen in the area hold over 1,000 fishing permits for a variety of fish sold to three major fish processing plants in Petersburg:  Tonka Seafoods, Trident Seafoods Cannery, and Petersburg Fisheries. 

Petersburg Fisheries, a Division of Icicle Seafoods

Cold Storage facilities and marine supply stores are all part of the local fishing industry at Petersburg with Salmon, Halibut, and Crab being the main fisheries.  I always found the various names for Salmon confusing, that is until I saw a diagram in a Juneau visitors’ guide illustrating a clever way to remember the various species of Salmon. 

The Five Salmon Species

There are five different species of salmon as shown in the diagram.  Let’s start with the thumb for Chum (nicknamed Dog and Keta); then a poke in the eye with the pointer finger for Sockeye (nicknamed Red, as in a red eye); then the large middle finger for Chinook (King); next comes the ring finger for Silver (or Coho with two o’s for rings); and lastly the pinky finger for the Pink Salmon (nicknamed Humpy); wow, no wonder I was confused!  The five-finger naming game makes it easy. 

Illustration of Longliners

More helpful diagrams were found in the visitors’ guide for Petersburg, illustrating the various commercial fishing vessels and techniques for each type of fishery:  Longliners, Seiners, Trollers, Gillnetters, Crabbers, and Dive Fisheries. 

Longliner Fishing Vessel at Petersburg

Longliners use a long length of line with a series of hooks strung out across the ocean floor to catch bottom dwelling fish such as halibut and black cod. 

Illustration of Seiners

Seiners on-the-other-hand find a school of fish, and then an open net is strung out using a skiff towing one end of the net from the stern of the seiner and the seiner motors away holding the other end.  The boats then motor towards each other in a circle, closing the net like a purse trapping large quantities of Pink Salmon (Humpies), which are the primary product in the canned salmon market. 

Seiner Fishing Vessels at Petersburg

I think the cooking process is what we have been smelling every mid-afternoon while at Petersburg, a foul smell but the smell of money nevertheless.  Seiners are typically 58 feet in length and among the largest vessels in the harbor and have a crew of four or more.  I love the scenic photo opportunities they create when seen pulling up their large nets from the stern. 

Trolling Vessel with Arms Extended

Chinook (Kings) are the big-money fish caught primarily by Trollers who run multi-hook lines from poles lowered over the water from each side of the boat and motor slowly through the fishing grounds.  I love taking photos of Trollers with their arms extended while cruising through beautiful scenery or out at sea.  Trollers also catch Silvers (Coho) which return later than Kings in the season to spawn and also bring a good price. Trollers should not be mistaken with Fishing Trawlers (Draggers).  Unlike Longliners and Trollers which use lines with hooks, Fishing Trawlers use a cone-shaped net drawn through the water near the sea bottom or mid-water level.  In the world of pleasure craft, the word “trawler” refers to a slow-moving pleasure boat such as Got d’ Fever along with other makes and models of fuel-efficient, slow-cruising pleasure boats. 

Illustration of Gillnetters

Like the fish themselves, keeping track of the types of fishing boats and techniques can be a challenge.  Next are the Gillnetters which target Sockeye (Reds), Chums (Dogs), and occasionally Silvers (Coho).  Gillnetters use 150-fathom driftnets (900 feet) and pleasure boats need to give them a wide berth!  Fish swim into the net strung out behind the boat and their fins and gills become tangled in the net, hence gillnetters; the net with the entangled fish is then drawn into the boat. 

Gillnetter at Petersburg

A Gillnet boat can be identified by the large spool or reel at the rear used to free-wheel out the net and haul in the fish.  There are currently 86 Gillnetters in Petersburg. 

Illustration of Crabbers

Crabbers are also seen at the docks in Petersburg.  Crews of two or more use pots weighing around 45 pounds for Dungeness crab and over 500 pounds for King crab.  Buoys are used to mark the location of the dropped pots so they can be retrieved later.  

Crabber Vessel at Petersburg

Fresh crab and live-crab are popular with restaurants worldwide and Alaskan crab are rated as the finest. 

Illustration of Dive Fisheries

Dive Fisheries is the latest technique used to recover Abalone, Sea Cucumber, Geoducks, and Sea Urchins from the sea bottom by divers using scuba gear or sometimes with umbilical diving gear.  Plucked from between rocks or sandy sea floors, the harvest is placed in bags, buckets, or netting and raised to the surface. 

Fish and Fishing Seasons