Tonka Seafoods wants their customers to be informed about the products they are purchasing. In this section we will briefly try to answer the questions we hear the most often from people on our tours. If you need more details than we have provided, and that you can’t find from other standard sources – email the question to us and we will do our best to answer it. We may be able to direct you to another source.

Which kind of salmon tastes the best?
This is definitely a matter of individual taste. The higher the natural oil content of the fish, the more salmon flavor you get. So if you like the good "fish" flavor you go for the king salmon and the sockeye salmon. If you want to have less full fish flavor you go for the chum or the pink. If you don’t know what you like try the Silver salmon – it is right in the middle range, and you won’t be disappointed! Both Japanese and American consumers tend to favor the deep red sockeye, which has driven up the price accordingly!

How are salmon caught?
In Alaska sport fishermen catch salmon with the traditional rod and reel. Sport fish can be processed for the sportsman to eat, but can not legally be sold. Tonka Seafoods does custom processing of sport fish for many tourists and locals alike. If you need details, see our custom processing page. Commercial fishermen in our area can catch and sell salmon using one of the following methods: Hand Troll, Power Troll, Gillnetting, Purse Seining. Each of these methods has a set number of permits, and you must purchase a permit as well as a boat to fish it from. If you really are interested in the different techniques, we have a book we can sell you with descriptions, pictures, sketches etc.

TROLLING

In southeastern Alaska the first commercial fishermen to encounter Salmon are members of the troll fleet. Trollers are small fishing vessels operated by one or two people who fish with a number of lines and hooks baited with herring or artificial lures. Of all the commercial Salmon fishing methods, trolling may be the least efficient from the standpoint of intercepting fish. High-seas trollers must search for fish in the open ocean; net fishermen by contrast, wait in areas where Salmon are known to school in the migratory route.

By way of compensation, trollers are allowed to fish beyond the inshore limits set for net fishermen, and generally have more days of fishing time. Modern fishery management tends to favor inshore methods and it is unlikely troll fishing will be significantly expanded.

Troll-caught fish are usually "ocean caught" or "brights", that is, they are caught before maturity when they are moving inshore and feeding heavily. They are attractive fish, somewhat smaller, perhaps, than those caught by the net fisheries, but in full vigor of their ocean period. Only Coho, King and Pink Salmon are taken in any number by the troll fleet and all three species, when delivered by a competent fisherman, command a premium price.

The volume of troll-caught fish is much smaller than that for net- caught fish. Troll-caught Salmon generally make up less than 10 percent of the total Alaska catch of all species of Salmon.

What they lack in quantity, troll-caught Salmon make up in quality. No fish is treated with more care from the time it leaves the water until it is delivered to the retailer's door. A sharp rap on the head quiets the fish before the hook is removed; a thrashing fish is apt to bruise himself or dislodge scales.

The fish is then gilled and gutted. Ice will be carefully packed in the body and head cavity and the fish will be laid on a layer of ice in such a way that the body cavities can drain freely. The surrounding ice will be arranged so that no fish comes in contact with another fish and so that all liquids drain away from the fish and into the vessel's bilge where it is pumped overboard. If the vessel has freezing capability, the fish will be blast-frozen much the way it is ashore, dipped in fresh water to form an ice glaze and placed carefully in the hold.

Almost all troll-caught fish go into the fresh, frozen or smoked market. The small number of fish represented in the troll catch, combined with their uniform attractiveness, make them the most valuable, pound for pound, of the Alaska Salmon.

GILLNETTING

The greatest number of Alaska Salmon are caught in gillnets of one type or another. Gillnetting involves laying a net wall in the water in the path of the fish and waiting for it to put its head into the mesh. When it does, the gills become entangled in the webbing and prevent the fish from escaping.

Most gillnetters are small one and two-man boats. State law dictates that gillnetters in Bristol Bay may be no longer than 32 feet. Most gillnetters outside of Bristol Bay are in the 32 to 42 foot range. A gillnet fisherman uses a net from 900 to 1800 feet long, a choice made not by him, but by the State of Alaska for fisheries management reasons.

Some gillnetters are equipped to carry their fish in ice, or even in refrigerated holds, but the vast majority deliver their cargo daily. In areas like Bristol Bay, where fishing can be extremely heavy, a gillnetter may be forced to deliver every few hours simply because the small vessel will not hold the quantity of fish caught in a day. In such cases, the hold is usually divided into several bins, and each bin is lined with a cargo net. When the gillnetter comes alongside the tendering vessel, the cargo nets are simply lifted aboard, emptied and returned to the catcher vessel. The cargo-net system, relatively new in the fishery, reduces handling of the fish, and has contributed significantly to the quality of the catch.

PURSE SEINING

Large numbers of Salmon are caught with seines in southeastern Alaska, central Alaska and western Alaska up to the tip of the Alaska Peninsula. No purse seining is allowed east of the Alaska Peninsula on the north side. Purse seiners are generally larger than gillnetters, but by Alaska Law may be no longer than 58 feet. Those fishing in south- eastern Alaska are larger vessels capable of operating in the sometimes stormy fjords and channels found in that part of the state.

A purse seine is a net which is set in a circle and can be drawn closed at the bottom. Because Salmon migrate in tight schools, it is not unusual for an Alaskan seiner to "wrap up" 250 to 1500 fish or more with one set. In addition, the Salmon's tendency to jump and "fin" on the surface gives away the school's location as it moves through the water. When not actually engaged in setting or retrieving the net, every person on a purse seiner is watching the water for a sign of fish.

How many kinds of salmon does Alaska have?
In Alaska, wild salmon are plentiful. Alaska is the world leader in protecting salmon habitat, and in strong management for the future of the fisheries. Our salmon come in five varieties, and to make it even more interesting, each variety has at least two names.

1. Alaska King Salmon (aka Chinook)
   • Largest and least abundant of all 5 species
   • 4 to 7 year life cycle
   • Average weight approximately 20 pounds
   • Highest oil content of the species gives it LOTS of salmon flavor
2. Alaska Sockeye Salmon (aka Red)
   • Has deep red flesh and fairly high oil content
   • 4 to 6 year life cycle
   • Average weight approximately 6 pounds
   • Probably the most well known species to the US consumer
3. Alaska Silver Salmon (aka Coho)
   • Second largest of the 5 species
   • 3 to 4 year life cycle
   • Average weight approximately 12 pounds
   • One of the most common species in Southeast Alaska
   • Has extremely good flesh color and is a favorite in restaurants
4. Alaska Chum Salmon (aka Keta, Dog)
   • Less oily than those above, so it has a milder flavor
   • 3 to 5 year life cycle
   • Average weight 8 to 10 pounds
5. Alaska Pink Salmon (aka Humpback)
   • Smallest and most abundant of the 5 species
   • 2 year life cycle
   • Average weight 2 to 3 pounds
   • Light colored flesh, delicate texture and flavor
   • Least amount of natural fat of the species

Farm raised salmon . . .
are quite different from wild Alaskan salmon. First major difference - there are five distinct Alaskan salmon species (see question above), but most farm raised salmon are Atlantic salmon – a completely different species. Next, wild salmon eat a wide variety of natural foods in the ocean environment. This variety gives the flesh a natural deep color, and all the swimming to CATCH those natural foods keeps the fish in great shape. So wild salmon also have a nice firm texture. There is nothing wrong with farmed salmon, but they are fed chemically enhanced foods, and they don’t get much exercise swimming in circles in pens. This affects their flavor, color, and texture.

Nationally known chefs such as Emeril Lagasse are beginning to speak up and specially praise wild salmon. We aren’t nationally known, but WE sure think wild salmon are superior from our own taste tests!

Another tidbit of information: it is not legal to farm salmon in Alaska. What was the concern that caused legislation to be passed to outlaw salmon farming in our state? The potential to have genetically different salmon escape their pens and begin to breed with our wild stocks. Unfortunately, there are documented cases of fish escaping as well as mistaken releases of farmed salmon in British Colombia and Washington state. Each summer commercial fishermen report catching increasing numbers of Atlantic salmon in the Pacific Ocean. Since they are not native to the Pacific, where do you suppose they came from?

Are there different types of smoked salmon?
Yes, the most common types are cold smoked, hot smoked, and canned smoked.

Cold smoked salmon is commonly called Lox, or Nova Lox. It has a moist texture and mild flavor. It has been salt brined and lightly smoked at very low temperatures (not exceeding 75). What preserves this product is the level of salt present. Since heat is not applied, it is not cooked. Hot smoked salmon, sometimes called kippered, is brined and then smoked at high enough temperatures to fully cook the product (150 internal temperature). Canned smoked salmon is brined, lightly smoked, and then packed in the can (or a foil laminated vacuum pouch). The can or pouch is then vacuum sealed and pressure cooked (retorted) to ensure a stable shelf life without refrigeration. The product in the can is definitely fully cooked!

What can you tell me about salmon nutrition?
Alaska wild salmon is one of nature’s original health foods. Salmon is low in calories and rich in nutrients. It is a wonderful source of the healthy Omega-3 polyunsaturated oils which help control cholesterol levels. Following is a chart adapted from the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute. This is for fresh or frozen salmon. The proportions of main nutrients remain the same when the product is smoked or canned. The salt level will be a bit elevated due to the brining process used

Smoked Salmon Home