Commercial fishing might be coming to the Kuskokwim this summer.
Alaska Dispatch News reports that Washington state fish buyer Pacific Harvest Seafoods plans to anchor a fish processing vessel at the Bethel seawall from July 27 to August 25. The 170-foot vessel would operate during the silver salmon run and send a tender to Quinhagak to buy fish. Company President Jim Gonzalez says that most of the salmon would be flown out fresh-to-market around the country. The vessel would be the only commercial processor on the Kuskokwim area with last year’s closure of Coastal Villages Region Fund’s Platinum processor.