DUNGENESS DELIGHT Southeast Alaska’s most important commercial crab fishery
BY JOHN LASHBROOK
With more miles of coastline than the other 49 states combined, it is safe to say that the ocean has played a major part in the Alaskan way of life throughout history. From the subsistence lifestyle of early indigenous tribes to the modern day, industrialized fishing fleets, the deep mysterious waters that surround “America’s Last Frontier” consistently provide a rich supply of food and resources.
IMPACT OF COMMERCIAL FISHING Fishing has forever been an integral part of the Alaskan culture, however, fishing began to take on a new meaning in 1878, when the first salmon canneries were built in Klawock and Sitka. Canneries soon began to pop up all along the coast to Bristol Bay as commercial fishing began to explode. This brought tremendous economic opportunity to the area, creating jobs and infrastructure. Currently home to some of the largest and most productive fisheries in the world, Alaska’s commercial seafood industry directly employs close to 60,000 people and has an average annual production of between 5 and 6 billion pounds of seafood, which is roughly 60% of the U.S. harvest. Salmon, cod, herring, Pollock and halibut, are among Alaska’s most popular fish species, but King crab, Tanner crab, Snow crab and Dungeness crab are also prominently featured on the menu.
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