Quality Determinants of Gillnet-Caught Alaska Salmon

ABSTRACT

In 2010 and 2011, researchers in Bristol Bay, Alaska followed nearly 22,000 tagged sockeye salmon that were caught by 86 selected gillnet boats and delivered unfrozen to tenders anchored out on the fishing grounds. The fish were then chilled in refrigerated seawater (RSW) and transported, usually within 24 h, to a shore-based seafood processing plant, where they were graded using a sensory evaluation method. Handling practices on the fishing boats were documented, along with the distance from the fishing grounds to the processing plant. Fishermen who employed RSW chilling tended to deliver higher quality salmon than fishermen chilling with ice. Fish that were bled at time of harvest and fish that were shaken from the gillnet onto a rubber mat or “salmon slide” were generally of slightly higher quality than fish that were not bled and were dropped onto a hard deck.

KEYWORDS:

• Alaska salmon
• Bristol Bay
• seafood quality
• chilled seawater versus refrigerated seawater
• salmon slide
• rubber mat

Acknowledgements

This article has been submitted in partial completion of a PhD dissertation in Interdisciplinary Studies at The University of New Brunswick in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada.