Commercial fishermen chip in to help terrorism victims

CORDOVA -- A group of Alaska salmon fishermen took to their small boats in the dark last week, braving the Copper River Delta's treacherous tides to raise funds for the firefighters of New York City.

As a result, people will have a chance to buy salmon in the Wasilla Carrs Safeway parking lot this weekend.

The Cordova fishermen harvested 41,000 pounds of wild Copper River salmon, during the fall run of silver salmon in the last opening of the year. A tender, the Neptune, delivered their catch to the docks, where the processing plants are located.

All the fish-processing businesses in Cordova contributed to the volunteer processing effort, offering plant space, labor, bags, freezers and boxes. A freight company volunteered to move the catch, and the local fishermen's union, Cordova District Fishermen United, arranged with firefighters in New York to receive the fish.

Per Nolan, a fisherman who had sparked the effort, explained, "Copper River salmon is a resource Cordova has that nobody else has." He noted that many companies donated the use of heavy equipment to help in the rescue effort at the World Trade Center site. "My heavy equipment is my fishing vessel, and this was the last window of opportunity this season. I could use my equipment and create something. It is something I could go out and do for them."

He said he wanted to get the prized fish on the tables of the people he felt needed it most. Then word came that New York City was flooded with enough donated goods to fill up Yankee Stadium and just couldn't handle any more. Cash was needed.

The challenge then became maximizing the value of the salmon catch for the benefit of the firefighters' families.

Cordovans arranged with a freight company to get the fish to Whittier, and from there to Anchorage. Carrs Safeway agreed to help, by providing freezer trailers and the space used to sell the fish in parking lot sales on Sept. 29, with proceeds to benefit the firefighters of New York City.

The salmon sale will take place starting at 10 a.m. in the Wasilla Carrs Safeway parking lot. It will be the only place in the Valley to buy the fish, as the Palmer Carrs Safeway is not participating. There are three Carrs Safeway stores participating statewide.

Anchorage Firefighters Local 1264 is also raising funds, and area firefighting equipment will be sent to the participating stores to help draw attention to the sale.

They hope to raise at least $45,000 for the cause, as a result of all goods and services being donated during the drive.

The donation comes in large measure from a battered salmon industry: Alaska salmon fishermen and processors have seen their prices plummet again this year as a result of imports of cheaper farmed salmon, particularly farmed Atlantic salmon from Chile.

Participants included 19 fishermen (each an independent businessman); members of Cordova District Fishermen United, a nonprofit advocacy organization; and seafood processors NorQuest, Copper River Seafood, North Pacific Processors, Ocean Beauty Seafoods, and Prime Select Seafood. TOTE Co. provided freight services, and Carrs Safeway stores in Anchorage and Wasilla assisted with the retail effort.

For more information please contact Sue Aspelund, executive director, Cordova District Fishermen United, (907) 424-3447, or cdfu@ptialaska.net.