Downtown Juneau in Juneau Borough, Alaska — Northwest (North America)
Southeast Alaska Commercial Fishing
Working Waterfront
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., August 25, 2024
1. Southeast Alaska Commercial Fishing Marker
"After a while, no matter where you work in the cycle, you can't get away from the fish. Catch a five minute rest on a heap of wet raingear, close your eyes, and you see fish. Fish tails, fish eyes, fish guts, fish mouths, fish. You talk about fish, you wait for the fish, you load and unload fish, you sort fish, you gut fish, you smell like fish, you dream about fish...."
From "For Love and Money" by Elizabeth Arnold, published in 'Alaska's Wild Salmon' Alaska Department of Fish and Game, 2002.
Most of the commercial fishing enterprises in Southeast Alaska are small businesses. Often, the boats are owned by individuals or families. Boats average between 20' and 60' long with 1 to 15 people working on board.
The fishing industry throughout Alaska employs 54,000 people and over 50% of all seafood harvested in the United States is harvested in the waters off Alaska. From 2004-2008, an average of 5.6 billion pounds of fish were harvested commercially each year in Alaska. Alaska fishermen earned $1.9 billion for their catch in 2009.
-In Juneau, there are over 700 people who fish commercially.
-Alaska seafood is wild
this page online
-There is no farming of finfish in Alaska.
[Commercial fishing methods, left to right]
TROLLING:
Small vessels with one to two fishermen are used to fish baited hooks or artificial lures on several lines. King and coho salmon are caught and sold as very high quality fresh or flash frozen fish to restaurants and markets.
GILLNETTING:
Vessels are 30'-40' in length and lay net that is 900'-1800' long in the water. The net hangs vertically and salmon swim into the net and become entangled. Pink, chum and high value sockeye are processed into a variety of fresh, frozen and canned products.
PURSE SEINE:
Vessels smaller than 60' set a net in a circle then draw the net closed at the bottom. Pink and chum salmon and herring are caught in this way then frozen, canned or processed for roe.
SHELLFISH TRAPS:
Vessels ranging from small skiffs to larger boats drop traps for dungeness crab, king crab, snow crab or spot prawns. Twine or wire mesh pots are left to sit on the ocean floor for a few days.
LONGLINERS:
Vessels ranging from 30'-150' anchor lines up to 1 mile long with thousands of baited hooks for several hours. Bottom
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., August 25, 2024
2. Southeast Alaska Commercial Fishing Marker
Types of fish and shellfish caught commercially in Southeast Alaska
[not transcribed]
Erected by Alaska Seafood Company and Others.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Animals • Industry & Commerce • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 2002.
Location. 58° 17.721′ N, 134° 23.985′ W. Marker is in Juneau, Alaska, in Juneau Borough. It is in Downtown Juneau. It can be reached from South Franklin Street. Marker is on a dock warehouse where boats offload their catch. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 550 South Franklin Street, Juneau AK 99801, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Southeast Alaska, in Tlingit and Haida & Tsimshian Region. It is also on the American Pacific Coast. Globally, it is in North America, the Inside Passage, the Pacific Rim, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Russian Empire.
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., August 25, 2024
3. Southeast Alaska Fish and Fish Processing Marker
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Alaska Commercial Fishermen's Memorial in Juneau (within shouting distance of this marker); Haa Aanν (within shouting distance of this marker); Shangukeidν Kootιeyaa (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Commercial Fishing (about 500 feet away); USS Juneau (CL-52) Memorial (about 700 feet away); Changing South Franklin (about 700 feet away); The Early Days (about 700 feet away); People's Wharf (about 700 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Juneau.
Regarding Southeast Alaska Commercial Fishing. Although largely informational, the marker includes historical information.
Credits. This page was last revised on October 28, 2025. It was originally submitted on October 1, 2024, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 186 times since then and 22 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 1, 2024, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.
