# Alaska fish processor close

**URL:** <https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/alaska-fish-processor-close/69039>\
**Category:** Commercial Fishing\
**Created:** [April 5, 2024, 11:24am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/alaska-fish-processor-close/69039 "2024-04-05T11:24:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ombugge](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/ombugge/32/11217_2.png) [@ombugge](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/ombugge)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2024, 11:24am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/alaska-fish-processor-close/69039/1 "2024-04-05T11:24:48Z")

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Anybody here affected?:

> **[Alaska fishermen and processing plants are in limbo as a state-backed seafood...](https://www.arctictoday.com/alaska-fishermen-and-processing-plants-are-in-limbo-as-a-state-backed-seafood-company-teeters/)**
>
> “We are all sort of on pins and needles,” said a local official in King Cove, where fishermen and elected leaders are waiting to learn the fate of Peter Pan Seafoods’ shuttered plant. The fishing fleet in the Southwest Alaska town of King Cove would...

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**Author:** ![tugsailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a9adbd/32.png) [@tugsailor](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/tugsailor)\
**Post date:** [April 6, 2024, 6:05am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/alaska-fish-processor-close/69039/2 "2024-04-06T06:05:28Z")

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King Cove is one of only three towns of any size with services on the south side Alaska Peninsula and Aleutian Islands. It’s one of the few towns in remote Alaska with a real economy and a successful fishing fleet.

A lot of state and federal money has been invested in King Cove over past years: new airport, new hydroelectric plant, sewer and water plants, freight dock, two small boat harbors, a new subdivision with new housing, and so on.

King Cove has services for vessel transiting to and from Western Alaska: fuel and water at Peter Pan; mechanics; electronics; a bar; a couple of restaurants; good air service to/ from Anchorage; freight service from Seattle by Coastal Transportation; freight service from Seattle and other parts of Alaska by Samson, and various others.

These seafood plant closures throughout Alaska are going to drastically reduce the tug and barge freight volumes.

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**Author:** ![ombugge](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/ombugge/32/11217_2.png) [@ombugge](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/ombugge)\
**Post date:** [April 6, 2024, 3:31pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/alaska-fish-processor-close/69039/3 "2024-04-06T15:31:13Z")

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The picture that headed the article bring back memories:

 ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/gcaptain_maritime_forum/original/3X/5/6/569703796cc01804facd0c5da9bacfaac254286a.jpeg)  
That looks very similar to the “basbåt” used by Norwegian seiners in my young days (1950-early 60s):  
 ![5fe114faf596a2b5bfc8c69359f7b43f4c112f36](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/gcaptain_maritime_forum/original/3X/5/a/5a7f9bab3b43c87e7861fcfe859993a940c75785.jpeg)

Used by the “Bas” to fined a suitable school of herring and direct the net boats to start run out the sein net, circling the school:

[![](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/gcaptain_maritime_forum/original/3X/4/d/4dfceecfdea460e2e6926b2380197937d070fd45.jpeg "SILDEFISKE ved Ålesund -1957.") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uVwd0itTZ8)

With the introduction of Power Blocks the “Basbåt” got bigger engines and propeller. They were then also used as towboats to keep the “mothership” from drifting over the net while scooping the catch up from the net.

The Basbåt disappeared when side thruster and sonar became common on the seiners in the early1970s.

Today the herring fishery is done with much smaller crrews and FAR less hard work:

[![](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/gcaptain_maritime_forum/original/3X/9/c/9c2aa81040e6151a54eeeb884b5fa75e0b21763a.jpeg "Herring fishing in Norway") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ca2pUq-bAfY)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![tugsailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a9adbd/32.png) [@tugsailor](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/tugsailor)\
**Post date:** [April 6, 2024, 4:14pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/alaska-fish-processor-close/69039/4 "2024-04-06T16:14:09Z")

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These are “seine skiffs” for the salmon seiners in King Cove. They are powerful and expensive aluminum boats.

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**Author:** ![ombugge](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/ombugge/32/11217_2.png) [@ombugge](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/ombugge)\
**Post date:** [April 6, 2024, 9:53pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/alaska-fish-processor-close/69039/5 "2024-04-06T21:53:05Z")

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Yes I’m familiar with those from visiting large Tuna Seiners around.  
The Norwegian “Bas” boats ended up with very large engines and propellers for towing, but never got to this level:

 ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/gcaptain_maritime_forum/original/3X/5/9/5999d424dc49d9533bced39b834ef073647ec6aa.jpeg)

PS\> Offshoots from the “Bas” boats are still used as workboat on Sesmic vessels and in the aquaculture industry:

 ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/gcaptain_maritime_forum/original/3X/d/2/d2c3cd285c8b1ae72a40a8ad3cfd27851ff6f3c7.jpeg)  
 ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/gcaptain_maritime_forum/original/3X/c/4/c4341098572230acc4f37de6e93f1e87fcafb288.jpeg)
