Second Annual Bristol Bay Fish Expo Kicks Off June 8

The second annual Bristol Bay Fish Expo begins June 8 in Naknek, Alaska, complete with a trade show, fashion show, auction, speed-hiring and an Alaska gubernatorial debate focused on rural issues, including the state’s fisheries.

The trade show, featuring 55 vendors, is designed for those offering products and services along the supply chain to be featured at a one-stop shop for the industry.

The vendor list includes Boats & Permits, Pacific Boat Brokers, Alaska General Seafoods, Trident Seafoods, Leader Creek Seafoods, Alaska Marine Lines, PenAir, NOMAR, Grundens, Kodiak Fish Co., Cummins, ZF Marine, Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) and the Bristol Bay Economic Development Corporation (BBEDC) The BBEDC, the Wild Salmon Center, ASMI and the Alaska Department of Natural Resources are also scheduled for presentations.

The featured keynote speaker will be historian Katherine Ringsmuth, who teaches world, US and Alaska history at the University of Alaska Anchorage. Her current work includes a project to capture the history and stories tied to the 128-year-old Cannery at Naknek. For more information on the project visit https://nncanneryproject.com

The Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association (BBRSDA) will be holding its member and board of directors meeting at Naknek during the fish expo, with a booth at the event on June 8. During its member meeting for Bristol Bay’s gillnet fleet, there will be presentations from Rising Tide Communications, the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute and Andy Wink of Wink Research & Consulting, who will present the June 2018 Bristol Bay Sockeye Market Report. The next day, there will be a BBRSDA sponsored buyers panel, where harvesters and others can hear directly from commercial seafood buyers who source, purchase, distribute and market Bristol Bay salmon in regional and national markets.

The two-day event is a fundraiser for Little Angels Childcare Academy, which offers early education and childcare to the economic and social benefit of this fisheries community.

More information is Bristol Bay Fish Expo is online at www.bristolbayfishexpo.com