Quality
The quality of Copper River salmon has increased dramatically over the years as fishermen adopt handling methods that ensure the best quality salmon possible. Short sets mean that fish come aboard alive and are then bled and iced to maintain the firm texture, beautiful color and rich flavor consumers love about Copper River salmon. Fishermen store salmon in insulated ice filled fish holds and deliver to tenders on the grounds throughout the fishing period, making sure that salmon isn’t crushed by the weight in each hold. Tenders refrigerate salmon for their journey back to town, where they are offloaded and processed at canneries for immediate shipping to markets all over the world. Alaska Airlines flies cargo planes through Cordova several times a day to guarantee that fish are delivered across the country and all over the world in the shortest amount of time. This ensures that consumers receive the freshest salmon at their local seafood counter or restaurant. New advances in handling techniques bring quality standards to an even higher level. Local processors, along with several direct-marketers, have introduced live-bleed programs, where fish are caught, picked from the net and allowed to bleed in an immersion tank of seawater. This technique slows the bleeding process, reduces clotting and produces the highest quality product possible.