Seafood Processors

Published on: April 16, 2024

Peter Pan Suspends Summer and Winter Production Indefinitely

Peter Pan Seafood’s future has been uncertain since January when the company disclosed plans to shutter its King Cove facility for the winter fishing seasons of cod, whitefish, and crab. Today, the company has officially announced it will “suspend operations at its processing facilities, ceasing both summer and winter production cycles indefinitely.”

The cessation of operations follows shortly after Peter Pan finalized an agreement with Silver Bay Seafoods. Silver Bay has officially acquired Peter Pan’s Valdez processing plant and will oversee the operations of Peter Pan’s facilities in Port Moller and Dillingham for the upcoming season.

The agreement raised numerous industry concerns, particularly regarding the future of the King Cove plant. Moreover, uncertainty lingers around the fate of the Port Moller and Dillingham facilities, with Silver Bay’s commitment limited to operating them for the upcoming “2024 salmon season.”

Published on: August 8, 2023

Trident Seafoods begins construction at Captains Bay

by Joseph Stacey

Trident Seafoods is in the process of constructing the initial bunkhouses for their upcoming processing plant located in Captains Bay, Unalaska. The company hopes to have the plant operational by 2027.

The Aleutian Islands and Bering Sea are known for some of the most productive fishing grounds globally. The region is famous for harvesting Alaska pollock, the whitefish commonly used in products like fish sticks and McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish sandwiches.

A sizable portion of the harvested pollock is currently processed at the expansive Trident Seafoods facility in Akutan. However, due to aging infrastructure and years of wear and tear, the seafood company has elected to construct a new facility.

Published on: July 19, 2022

Bristol Bay Sockeye Harvest Breaking Records in Alaska

by Nigel Stacey

It’s sockeye salmon season in Alaska, and for the second year in a row, Bristol Bay is breaking catch records, a trend that is expected to continue as the week goes on.

More than 53.3 million fish had been caught by Thursday, July 14^th (the run began on June 1^st), and fishing is expected to continue until early August.

According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, more than 1,700 drift gillnetters as well as beach-based fishers caught approximately 2.36 million sockeye salmon in a single day.

Published on: May 6, 2020

COVID-19 Outbreak in Astoria Seafood Processor

by Joseph Stacey

Bornstein Seafood in Astoria, Oregon has closed until further notice due to an outbreak of COVID-19. Clatsop County Public Health began an investigation on May 4, 2020, after an employee at Bornstein Seafood tested positive for the deadly virus. More than one-third of 35 employees tested on Monday were positive for the disease. By May 5, 13 employees were ill with COVID-19, and more test results are pending. Contact tracing has begun, and workers at both Astoria plants have been asked to shelter at home until further notice.

Clatsop County Public Health reported that the 11 cases reported on Monday included four women—one aged 30-39, and three aged 40 to 49. Also testing positive were seven men—two aged 30 to 39, four aged 50 to 59, and one aged 60 to 69.

Before the outbreak occurred, a complaint was filed with OSHA by the Lower Columbia Hispanic Council against Bornstein Seafood. The complaint, filed on April 18, cited a lack of social distancing and a lack of personal protective equipment, and that some workers felt unprotected at work. With protective gear and temporal scanners in short supply, many companies are finding it challenging to procure equipment that meets county guidelines. OSHA has confirmed that the complaint is still open for investigation.