I’ve only worked on the slope a short time, but was in wonderment when I’d hear workers say how glad they were to be back. And how relaxed they looked. Now I know. Seems like I got off the plane yesterday, and 2 weeks are gone. I painted, commercial fished, sport fished, “camped” at a cabin and set crab pots, solicited orders on short notice for our Juneau delivery business, and today delivered 800 lbs of sockeye to our local customers. I’m so ready to go back and have no other worry than going to work!
It was great to see our customers again. One couple said they read my blog, and were pleased to see me describe my observations on the North Slope in – at least in their view- objective point. Another processor where I took fish for a customer for smoking said he couldn’t see how 1 degree change in temperature could cause global warming or melt the poles. He thought maybe it was the water or wind causing the melting.
The fishing crew was still on a high even tonight after the great catch Sun-Tue. After no sockeye, they showed up in force. Which is not great for the fish markets and restaurants that would like the fish to come in slow and steady over the whole summer, rather than at one time like this. But of course late is better than never. Many of my local customers already bought fish (which I had directed them to) when I thought we would not get any. Yet I was able to round up, in the end, enough of the earlier orders plus new ones. Our customers are so loyal and so nice to us. We only show up with the best fish, and they’re happy to get fish of a quality they trust and don’t have to worry about. I was thinking today buying a 2×4 is alot different than buying fish. 2×4’s might be 2×4’s, but fresh fish certainly are not the same.
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Mark Stopha and Sara Hannan
Alaska Wild Salmon Company
Wild Salmon and Salmon Pet Treats
4455 N. Douglas Hwy
Juneau, AK 99801
907-463-3115
www.GoodSalmon.com