The Viking Maid Full Movie
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:00:00Okay, I got a coast report for you over at Giddy just to check in on the satellite there
00:00:07at the coast, over.
00:00:09I think he's a tender.
00:00:11He had six fish in his first set, over.
00:00:14Six fish.
00:00:15Two sockeyes.
00:00:17Three dogs.
00:00:18Oh, and a pink.
00:00:20What a bummer.
00:00:22A good tide's coming.
00:00:24A good tide will get there when it's over.
00:00:28Yeah, I know.
00:00:29That's what I looked at.
00:00:30The good tide.
00:00:31If you don't get the good tide, this will be out there.
00:00:34So, anyways.
00:00:35Oh, I got a dog inside.
00:00:37Holy shit, it's a sockeye.
00:00:38I got to curl in.
00:00:40Look at him go.
00:00:41He jumped three times.
00:00:43Man, fish like your voice.
00:00:46You stay right there.
00:00:47Fish love your voice.
00:00:58I'm kind of, I guess, decked boss.
00:01:27It's a little bit more dangerous, I guess,
00:01:28because you're right next to the deck winch,
00:01:30and lots of people get hurt doing that.
00:01:31But you just got to be careful, got to be paying attention.
00:01:35That's the main part about fishing.
00:01:37You always got to be paying attention,
00:01:39because, I mean, you could kill yourself doing this.
00:01:42Pull the net to the beach, or we're doing open-toes offshore.
00:01:57I just, I work together with the skipper,
00:02:00and we try to corral the fish.
00:02:09This is actually my first year.
00:02:11Actually, this is my third trip out.
00:02:15So I'm a greenhorn, as they like to call us.
00:02:27Yeah, I work the cork and the web, and I work the tow line.
00:02:31Tow line is where we hook up the skiff so we don't drift,
00:02:35so we stay away from the shore.
00:02:41It sounds real adventuresome to some of these young fellas,
00:03:01you know, until they come out and do it and find out it's actual work.
00:03:05You know, and we haven't even begun the season, you know.
00:03:09It's not gotten crazy yet.
00:03:12When we start fishing two on, two off, or four on and one off,
00:03:17then it really gets to be a drag.
00:03:19I mean, it's a grind.
00:04:08It looks just like a cancer.
00:04:34The flesh is completely falling away from itself.
00:04:39I had a case down there that was so bad
00:04:43that I cut one fillet off of the side of the fish,
00:04:46got halfway through the other side, and held it up,
00:04:48and the fillet completely peeled off the rest of the bone.
00:04:54According to the United States EPA guidelines,
00:04:57consumption of more than one serving
00:04:59of farmed salmon per month could pose unacceptable cancer risks.
00:05:05I manage a seafood department right now in a grocery store.
00:05:08And the disgusting part of it is those fish are going to people
00:05:11at these high-end restaurants, or any restaurant for that matter,
00:05:15and people are eating that and they're not aware of what they're eating.
00:05:21It's also hurting all the fishermen
00:05:23because these engineered fish are taking over the market.
00:05:30Everyone's buying them because they're so much cheaper.
00:05:33And it's a real problem.
00:05:36I'm afraid that it's going to take over and my way of life is going to go away.
00:05:48Ketchikan is a small town nestled along the shoreline
00:05:52of a vast flooded mountain range that makes up southeast Alaska.
00:05:57Surrounded by ocean fjords and national forests,
00:05:59Ketchikan's unique location was founded,
00:06:02and its roots and history rest on the abundant wild Pacific salmon.
00:06:09In 1885, an Irishman named Mike Martin purchased 160 acres of land
00:06:14from an Indian named Paper Nose Charles.
00:06:18The land included a salmon stream nicknamed Fish Creek.
00:06:22Its Tlingit Indian name translates to the spread wings of an eagle,
00:06:26and it became Ketchikan's namesake.
00:06:30Salmon saltries began production, followed by canneries,
00:06:33and in the year 1900, with a population of 800, the town became a city.
00:06:40Trolling for salmon began on a small scale in 1903,
00:06:43and canneries continued to expand in size and number.
00:06:481912, Ward's Cove Cannery was established,
00:06:52and in 1913, Ketchikan Cold Storage was built,
00:06:55with a capacity to produce 70 tons of ice and storage
00:06:59capacity of over 7,500,000 pounds.
00:07:04The halibut industry began to boom, and by 1930, more than 150 halibut boats
00:07:10and 1,000 salmon boats called Ketchikan home.
00:07:13These fishermen maintained a steady supply
00:07:15of seafood for the 13 canneries and cold storages
00:07:19that had by then been established.
00:07:21The industry underwent trials and tribulations.
00:07:25Fish pirates raged against fish traps, and federal mismanagement eventually
00:07:30gave way to state regulation.
00:07:33The wild Alaskan salmon that had supported indigenous peoples
00:07:36for thousands of years and that gave life to the city of Ketchikan
00:07:41remains an important part of the town's identity.
00:07:45Despite 120 years of commercial fishing,
00:07:49Alaska maintains the only healthy and sustainable salmon
00:07:53fishery in the world.
00:07:57In the 1990s and the early 2000s have been the highest catches
00:08:04and escapements in the history of Alaska.
00:08:07So we're off the scale in terms of the production of wild stocks
00:08:13and the aquaculture programs as well.
00:08:16And we have an extremely dedicated crew of biologists
00:08:19that work for the state that work tremendous hours to see to it
00:08:23that it's managed properly.
00:08:25They do a tremendous job.
00:08:29They're as healthy now as they've ever been, if not healthier.
00:08:32In fact, the Chinook stocks on the mainland
00:08:35are healthier than we've seen them.
00:08:36I've been on the Chinook Technical Committee of the Pacific Salmon
00:08:40Commission for years.
00:08:41And we've been dealing with rebuilding the stocks to their historic levels.
00:08:47And in most cases, we're up over the natural escapements
00:08:50that we're looking for.
00:08:51And everything's as healthy as it's been.
00:08:54So I would say, in general, it's probably the healthiest fishery
00:08:57in the world right now.
00:08:58It's got a real bright future.
00:09:01I don't see any wild problems anywhere.
00:09:06Over the years, rules and regulations have really
00:09:09been put in place to protect salmon streams.
00:09:11And I'd say, by and large, here in southeast Alaska,
00:09:14we have, as I said, almost pristine spawning grounds for the salmon.
00:09:19And we've been very fortunate that we've had very good marine survivals.
00:09:22Just the natural survival we've had over the last 20 to 25 years
00:09:27has been wonderful.
00:09:28And because we do manage the fisheries to assure escapement,
00:09:35we've been able to take advantage of the great marine survivals.
00:09:38And yeah, we have more fish right now than we know what to do with up here.
00:09:46Got purse!
00:09:48Yeah, that's been a lot of fun having Jared.
00:09:51He's been on with us fishing since he was about eight.
00:09:54It's pretty much a family industry.
00:09:58It kind of goes down from generation to generation.
00:10:00I might be next, unless I find a good land job.
00:10:05This is Ron, my skiff man, is born and raised in Cholmley Sound,
00:10:10which is an island on Prince of Wales Island.
00:10:13And he's a mountain man, born out of his time period.
00:10:18And he's a full-time commercial fisherman.
00:10:21I longline halibut, black cod, Pacific cod.
00:10:26I've done some shrimping.
00:10:28I haven't done that for a few years.
00:10:30I've done a little herring fishing.
00:10:32And Kodiak Tanner fish, which is a crab.
00:10:38And salmon.
00:10:42Jason, I've known him since he was real little.
00:10:45And he's been bugging me for years.
00:10:47High school kid that's just been bugging me and bugging me.
00:10:51And so I finally took him up and said, OK, let's go.
00:10:54First trip, I got sick.
00:10:56Second trip, hurt my arm.
00:10:59Then this trip, I got sunburned really bad.
00:11:02My goal for the next trip is not to get hurt at all.
00:11:05The one slot Mike is filling,
00:11:08that slot's been filled for six years.
00:11:10It's just by happenstance, mostly, that if we need a guy
00:11:14and one of the other crewmen knows of somebody
00:11:18that we want to give a chance, we'll give them a chance.
00:11:22But I don't go shopping for salmon crewmembers.
00:11:30Day one on board the Viking Maid.
00:11:33The crew is the first to arrive on board.
00:11:36They don't know where they are going or when.
00:11:39But there's always work to be done
00:11:41and always supplies to be bought.
00:11:43Do you have cream or milk?
00:11:45Oh, chocolate milk.
00:11:47We're not getting chocolate milk.
00:11:49Where they go is always a mystery
00:11:51until Russell brings word.
00:11:53Yesterday, McAllister did a test set
00:11:55and honked him at 77,000 pounds.
00:11:57Well, they're going to make an announcement this afternoon
00:12:00and then we'll decide which way we're going.
00:12:03Only certain areas will be open to fishing,
00:12:06and of those areas, fishermen pick a spot
00:12:09based on past experience, time of year,
00:12:12weather, gut feelings, instinct, and superstition.
00:12:15Many captains are so superstitious and secretive
00:12:18that their crews are given a clue
00:12:20as to where they are going.
00:12:22Because in fishing,
00:12:24who's catching what and where is very important.
00:12:32Time to get down to the business of fishing.
00:12:36Headed north to Hidden Falls, possibly.
00:12:42To Hidden Falls.
00:12:44Hidden Falls.
00:12:46We're in the terminal harvest area
00:12:48to chase some chum salmon.
00:12:51It's an opening up there on Sunday.
00:12:54Probably like a 20-hour boat ride here up the beach.
00:12:58Up through here, up through here,
00:13:00up through Rangel Narrows by Petersburg,
00:13:02across Frederick Sound, down Gardner,
00:13:04up by Hidden Falls, and Chatham Straits.
00:13:07There's Juneau over here.
00:13:09This is Sitka out here.
00:13:11And this is Petersburg.
00:13:13It's kind of like a shootout.
00:13:16Yeah, there could be about 100 boats
00:13:19in a 7, 8-mile area.
00:13:24So it's going to be real crowded, real crazy.
00:13:27A lot of boats dodging and weaving.
00:13:31It's pretty entertaining, really.
00:13:35A lot of guys scratching and clawing
00:13:38for a good set of chums.
00:13:42Hopefully it should be good fishing.
00:13:46Yeah, it should be.
00:13:48We'll get a boatload.
00:13:50I've been at this too long to get too excited.
00:13:55We've had sets as big as 50,000 pounds before,
00:13:58which is half a boatload in one set.
00:14:02So it'll be fun.
00:14:05Didn't a couple boats run into each other that year too?
00:14:09The boat rolled over.
00:14:11That's what happened.
00:14:13Or was it some guy got hit by the main tow line?
00:14:16Yeah, a helicopter came and medevaced a guy
00:14:19off the back deck, and the tow line snapped.
00:14:22That was the day we had the 50,000-pound set.
00:14:25We couldn't get it aboard.
00:14:27It took us 2 hours.
00:14:29Remember that?
00:14:31That was our first set of the season, wasn't it?
00:14:34First set of the year.
00:14:36We had to braille them all out.
00:14:38They didn't know what a brailler was.
00:14:40I remember hitting Timmy with the end of that brailler
00:14:43like every time.
00:14:45Sorry, Timmy.
00:14:47Yeah, OK.
00:14:49When you're certain, we'll go inside
00:14:51or go around the starboard side
00:14:53of Caney Reef right now.
00:15:03There's people that will try it
00:15:05and then never do it again,
00:15:07and there's people that'll do it and love it
00:15:09and keep doing it, I would say.
00:15:11And then there's dudes that'll come in
00:15:13and work for a week and be like,
00:15:15you know, this is not my gig.
00:15:17It's almost impossible.
00:15:19You take all these different personalities
00:15:21and you shove them on a 58-foot boat
00:15:23and try to make sure they get along
00:15:25and plus teach them a job
00:15:27that they'll luckily get in a year
00:15:29and you only have about a week to teach them it.
00:15:32Guys, you always gotta be telling them what to do,
00:15:35and they just sit there staring at their hands all day.
00:15:38Guys like that really piss me off.
00:15:40You know, guys aren't gonna make it.
00:15:42I think there's a guy on Gary's boat now.
00:15:44The guy who's running the hydraulics.
00:15:46I think he's gonna quit as soon as he gets back to Ketchikan.
00:15:49I don't know if Gary knows that now,
00:15:51but the other kid was telling me that.
00:15:53But yeah, so there'd be crew members.
00:15:55You can constantly go through them.
00:15:57We went through 6 guys,
00:15:59so they don't mess around.
00:16:01You screw up, you're done.
00:16:03We'll take you back to town, drop you off,
00:16:05or sometimes if you piss the captain off enough,
00:16:07we'll drop you off on the nearest packer.
00:16:09You don't even make it back to town.
00:16:11It's working on a boat.
00:16:13It's something you can do,
00:16:15anybody can do,
00:16:17but not everybody can.
00:16:25Early the next morning,
00:16:27the Viking Maid reaches the Wrangel Narrows,
00:16:29nicknamed Christmas Tree Lane.
00:16:31More than 70 navigational aids
00:16:33light up the 21-mile stretch
00:16:35of narrow waterway passage.
00:16:37In some places,
00:16:39it is only 100 yards wide.
00:16:41Its average depth
00:16:43is only 19 to 22 feet,
00:16:45and navigating its passage
00:16:47requires at least 46 nautical course changes.
00:17:00At the northern edge
00:17:02of Wrangel Narrows
00:17:04is another small fishing town,
00:17:06Petersburg,
00:17:08and one of the processing plants,
00:17:10it's a quick stop
00:17:12to pick up an announcement
00:17:14provided by the Department of Fish and Game
00:17:16who regulate the fishermen.
00:17:24If we see a lot of fish entering,
00:17:26we'll give the fishermen
00:17:28two or three or four days to fish,
00:17:30but if things don't look good
00:17:32or if certain areas don't look good,
00:17:34we won't allow them to fish in that area
00:17:36or we'll cut back in time.
00:17:38We announce time and area
00:17:40for the whole region
00:17:42because we coordinate all the openings
00:17:44throughout the region.
00:17:46We're not opening up
00:17:48a couple days here in Ketchikan
00:17:50and a couple days in Petersburg.
00:17:52Everything's open at the same time.
00:17:54So they kind of control
00:17:56the fleet movement that way
00:17:58so they don't get the whole fleet
00:18:00piling into one area,
00:18:02and it's worked real well,
00:18:04and of course over time
00:18:06Since we all understand
00:18:08how safe the future of these salmon are,
00:18:10the Viking Maid can continue northward
00:18:12to harvest a few of them.
00:18:14As we cross Frederick Sound,
00:18:16we are entering larger bodies of water
00:18:18that are not as difficult
00:18:20to maneuver in as the Straits.
00:18:22These waters, however,
00:18:24represent a much more dangerous element
00:18:26than big tides.
00:18:28These waters are subject
00:18:30to heavy winds and big sea.
00:18:32Depending on experience,
00:18:35it's really hard for me to say.
00:18:37I'd say I've definitely seen
00:18:3920-foot seas.
00:18:41It's possible they've been a little bigger.
00:18:43I don't know, probably 20,
00:18:4520-footers.
00:18:47I'm imagining, I don't really know.
00:18:49I've seen probably 30,
00:18:5135-foot seas.
00:18:53Probably close to 30-footers.
00:18:55I don't know, I couldn't get
00:18:57a tape measure out at the time,
00:18:59I was rather busy.
00:19:01You just sit there
00:19:04and hopefully your windows hold.
00:19:06But it's not fun,
00:19:08you know,
00:19:10but it happens.
00:19:18Sanders don't hesitate
00:19:20to fish in 5- to 6-foot seas.
00:19:22It's not fun or easy,
00:19:24but whenever there is an opening,
00:19:26fishermen want to fish.
00:19:30Like the roughest I think I've ever fished in
00:19:32as far as seining goes,
00:19:34is probably about 15-footers.
00:19:36They're a nice swell,
00:19:38nice ocean swell we have at McLean's Arm.
00:19:40My dad goes and wakes us all up again
00:19:42or something.
00:19:44He took us back out there,
00:19:46and it was a nice swell.
00:19:48It was rocking back pretty tough.
00:19:50We got it back, and I think we only had
00:19:52maybe a thousand pounds,
00:19:54a couple thousand pounds,
00:19:56so we just had to go test it out
00:19:58and see if there was anything out there.
00:20:00A lot of other things get a little trickier
00:20:02because then you've really got
00:20:04a lot of weight swinging.
00:20:06The net goes way up,
00:20:08way up above the deck
00:20:10before it comes back down at you.
00:20:12And when the waves are heavy
00:20:14and the wind is blowing,
00:20:16that seine is blowing all over the place,
00:20:18and you've got to hang on to it.
00:20:20Sometimes it will pick you up
00:20:22and make you fly around,
00:20:24but you've got to keep a steady grip on it
00:20:26and keep throwing it down.
00:20:28Sometimes things get crazy,
00:20:30and it's a deal of odds.
00:20:32You're going to have a disaster.
00:20:34It's just your odds
00:20:36are totally against you.
00:20:42Oh yeah, I've salvaged a few accidents,
00:20:44and they're always sad,
00:20:46but they do happen.
00:20:48It's just inevitable.
00:20:50Something happens.
00:20:52I've been on a couple
00:20:54of different salvage operations
00:20:56where we had to
00:20:58go retrieve a boat
00:21:00that was an unfortunate accident.
00:21:04Commercial fishing
00:21:06is one of the most dangerous
00:21:08occupations in the world,
00:21:10particularly when done
00:21:12in the sporadic seas of Alaska.
00:21:14Every year, the fishing community
00:21:16is reminded of this
00:21:18when something goes wrong
00:21:20and a boat doesn't come home.
00:21:22Nav tech programs,
00:21:24computers, high-tech
00:21:26fathometers, radars,
00:21:28all this new stuff,
00:21:30it's a lot safer than it ever was.
00:21:32There's a lot of rocks out there,
00:21:34but you really have to pay attention.
00:21:36A lot of uncharted rocks.
00:21:44From Wrangel Narrows,
00:21:46the Viking Maid traveled
00:21:48from Frederick Sound
00:21:50up Chatham Straits
00:21:52just south of Hidden Falls
00:21:54and 80 nautical miles from Petersburg.
00:21:56The number of boats
00:21:58they could see rises quickly.
00:22:00Many boats are already gathering
00:22:02to look for jumps and trying to find
00:22:04the best spot for the first set
00:22:06of the next morning.
00:22:08As they search for the perfect location,
00:22:10these fishermen are also very anxious
00:22:12to find out what their competitors
00:22:14might or might not know.
00:22:16As a result, it is not uncommon
00:22:18to see a couple of boats
00:22:20trying to impress each other.
00:22:22Yeah, we're lost, what about you?
00:22:24I'd be lost.
00:22:26I'd like to have this bay just me and you,
00:22:28when you showed up at the right time.
00:22:31It's also the camaraderie with the other boats.
00:22:34We have groups of us that work kind of together,
00:22:37so we're always on the radio
00:22:39yik-yak-ing and stuff like that.
00:22:41It beats working for a living, you know.
00:22:44Yeah, I mean, you know, yeah,
00:22:46and so, I mean, this could be
00:22:48a really good up here, too.
00:22:50It sounds like shit, there ain't no boats.
00:22:52122 last time,
00:22:54and I haven't seen 10 new players.
00:22:56I mean, this fleet could be less than 200.
00:23:00Yeah?
00:23:02What's it going to be
00:23:04except 100 from right here?
00:23:06It's cooking grass, man.
00:23:08Holy shit.
00:23:10You got a nine-incher.
00:23:12It's pulling grass.
00:23:14That's amazing.
00:23:17Nice.
00:23:29It's going to be loaded with boats in here.
00:23:32It's going to suck.
00:23:34It'll be like a little hidden vault or something.
00:23:37I don't know.
00:23:39Go home.
00:23:41Tell Ocean Beauty that we don't want to fish up here
00:23:44for too much longer.
00:23:46Go back to the regular spots.
00:23:49Get to see the girlfriend every once in a while.
00:23:54That's about it.
00:23:56Everything that you like and you want is not here.
00:24:00I mean, my girlfriend is not here.
00:24:043 months of the year, you know,
00:24:063 1⁄2, say maybe 4 months a year,
00:24:08I don't see her.
00:24:10You know, I get some garbled-up phone call,
00:24:13and she once in a while maybe can shoot off an e-mail.
00:24:16I don't know what she's doing.
00:24:18She doesn't know what I'm doing.
00:24:20I don't see her.
00:24:22I'm lonely out here.
00:24:24It's the middle of nowhere.
00:24:26You're with a bunch of guys
00:24:28who you get sick of after 3 weeks,
00:24:30and that's all you see
00:24:32is the same 4 faces every day.
00:24:34There's no warmth.
00:24:36There's no niceties.
00:24:38It can be hard at times,
00:24:40little hours of sleep.
00:24:43I wouldn't want to be doing anything else.
00:24:46Any other job, no way.
00:24:48I think this wind will blow,
00:24:52hopefully blow these fish up here.
00:24:55This right here is where Gary had,
00:24:58right on this corner of this island, Ron,
00:25:00yesterday, he had 3 sets for $85,000.
00:25:02He had one set for $40,000,
00:25:04he said, on a 20-minute tow
00:25:06on the flood yesterday morning.
00:25:08Jumps.
00:25:09He said, yeah, yeah, there's jumps.
00:25:11He had jumps yesterday.
00:25:13So far, there's not very many boats here.
00:25:18About, looked like to me, about 15 boats.
00:25:21Gary said a lot of those guys,
00:25:236 of those guys didn't even have gear on,
00:25:25nets on when he left.
00:25:27They were still...
00:25:29But, yeah, it's, um...
00:25:35We'll find out more tomorrow.
00:25:37Before fishing, the power skiff
00:25:39has to be dropped down into the water,
00:25:41fueled up, and run for several hours
00:25:44to make sure it is ready to go fishing
00:25:46first thing the next morning.
00:25:48The deckhands have to look over the net
00:25:50several times to make sure there are no holes.
00:25:53Any hole in the net could mean
00:25:55lost fish and lost money.
00:25:57So everything has to be in tip-top shape.
00:26:10♪♪♪
00:26:21Prior to statehood,
00:26:23Alaskan salmon runs were severely damaged
00:26:26by federal mismanagement
00:26:28and by corporate fish traps
00:26:30that decimated salmon populations.
00:26:32When Alaska became a state,
00:26:34fish traps were banned,
00:26:36and salmon were granted constitutional protection.
00:26:39Fishermen in Alaska are not allowed to catch fish
00:26:43until or unless enough salmon enter the streams
00:26:46to guarantee healthy reproduction.
00:26:54♪♪♪
00:27:06♪♪♪
00:27:30♪♪♪
00:27:37♪♪♪
00:27:56♪♪♪
00:28:07♪♪♪
00:28:14♪♪♪
00:28:21♪♪♪
00:28:30♪♪♪
00:28:37But every year, it's different.
00:28:39You can never predict what's gonna happen in the falls.
00:28:42I've been up there with, you know,
00:28:4460 other boats lined up for the opening,
00:28:46and then when that whistle bell blows,
00:28:48everybody's going full bore to set their nets out,
00:28:51and I've seen boats roll over
00:28:53because they went too hard and turned
00:28:55to make that set they wanted,
00:28:57and they just rolled right over.
00:28:59So it's a zoo in there. It's kind of crazy.
00:29:01It's pretty dangerous, too.
00:29:03And, you know, every year,
00:29:05we have boats just screwing up
00:29:07and guys on deck who are looking at their feet
00:29:10rather than what's going on,
00:29:12getting their necks broken from lines popping across.
00:29:14It's like I was saying before.
00:29:16You always got to pay attention,
00:29:18and if someone else isn't paying attention,
00:29:20they're gonna hurt themselves, and they're gonna hurt you.
00:29:23♪♪♪♪
00:29:35♪♪♪♪
00:30:06♪♪♪♪
00:30:24♪♪♪♪
00:30:35♪♪♪♪
00:30:39♪♪♪♪
00:31:02Big loads of fish.
00:31:05Jack Loach, that's my favorite job.
00:31:07My favorite part of the job is decking boats by far.
00:31:12You can't get them all on deck at once.
00:31:14So you get a big wave and you're just dumping that back in.
00:31:17You pull up another big old wave and you're just like,
00:31:20yeah, that's more money.
00:31:22And then another one comes in and you're just like,
00:31:24yeah, look at all that fish.
00:31:26And you just gotta come and see it.
00:31:30It just makes a whole week worthwhile
00:31:33when you get a nice big set of fish,
00:31:36come pouring on deck,
00:31:38and when the whole deck's filled up to your knees in fish.
00:31:42That's the best part.
00:31:48The whole fishing thing is like a big game, I mean.
00:31:51Usually we're on the top end of things
00:31:53because we've got that guy out there.
00:31:55It's us against the other guy, the other boat, you know,
00:31:58and it's like a professional sport.
00:32:00And it's the competition life.
00:32:04That's why I tell the new guys that come on board,
00:32:06I say this is a sport.
00:32:08We're a team. We're a five-man team.
00:32:10We're only as good as our weakest link.
00:32:13So start them off slow and in by a couple weeks
00:32:18or, you know, maybe 40, 50 sets.
00:32:22I expect to be up to high speed.
00:32:24♪♪♪
00:32:37Everybody's out there gossiping on their CB all day long.
00:32:40That's a part of the game.
00:32:42It's a very complex and complicated game out there.
00:32:45So all day long, you're hearing rumors,
00:32:47you're hearing hearsay, everyone's chatting,
00:32:49everyone's gossiping about what other boats are doing,
00:32:52what else is going on, what other spots are firing off.
00:32:55Some captains purchase VHFs with secure lines on them
00:32:59so that no one else can tap into it,
00:33:01and they can communicate on secure radio lines,
00:33:03and no one else can pirate into their conversations.
00:33:06It's that cutthroat. It's that competitive.
00:33:09Run!
00:33:16I mean, there's guys that just drive, drive, drive, drive,
00:33:19really hard drivers, and other ones that are more relaxed
00:33:22and laid back.
00:33:24I used to be crazy, but anymore,
00:33:26I've gotten to look at the big picture and just, I mean,
00:33:30people pay thousands of dollars for this,
00:33:32and we get paid to do it, which is really a treat.
00:33:41Second set.
00:33:43The first set was decent,
00:33:45but the course of the day is still uncertain.
00:33:49It is usually these early morning sets
00:33:52that make or break a day,
00:33:54so tensions remain high.
00:33:56Speed is of the essence.
00:33:58Even as the second set is hauled aboard,
00:34:01the skipper and skiff man are in constant communication.
00:34:05Sam and Jump.
00:34:07Through the use of hand gestures,
00:34:09the two relay the number and style of jumps they can see
00:34:12in order to try and make the jump.
00:34:15Through the use of hand gestures,
00:34:17the two relay the number and style of jumps they can see
00:34:20in order to try and quickly determine
00:34:22where the most fish are concentrated
00:34:24and which direction they will be moving for the next set.
00:34:27Once a decision has been made,
00:34:29the seine has to be set again
00:34:31before another boat can beat them to it.
00:34:35I used to jump around and whoop and, you know, scream,
00:34:40get real excited when I saw a bunch of fish
00:34:43pulling over the side of the boat.
00:34:45You look around and everyone, all the seasoned fishermen
00:34:48are snowing cold because you don't press your luck.
00:34:51You don't, you know, you don't challenge it.
00:34:54You don't do anything that can endanger it.
00:34:57You get a set like that, you don't celebrate,
00:35:00you don't get too overexcited,
00:35:02because the next one could be dry.
00:35:04The next set could be nothing.
00:35:06You try not to get too excited.
00:35:08Of course you gotta kind of restrain yourself from grinning
00:35:12because who could be upset with earning $1,000
00:35:15in literally 30 minutes of work?
00:35:17But it's exciting. I mean, there's nothing like it.
00:35:21When your net's full and you know it's full,
00:35:24it's a dang good feeling.
00:35:26I mean, you really, that's what you do it for, really.
00:35:30You can grind away all day and get the same amount of fish,
00:35:33but the big sets are just a lot of fun.
00:35:36The efficiency of communication and coordination
00:35:39between the skiff man and the captain
00:35:41is a big factor in the success or failure of a set.
00:35:44They're coming down the hook.
00:35:46If they close the net too soon,
00:35:48they may miss fish that are still swimming in.
00:35:51If they close the net too late,
00:35:53the schooling fish may begin to escape.
00:35:57It is then up to the crew to work quickly to purse the net,
00:36:01which will trap the fish by lifting the bottom of the seine
00:36:05underneath the fish and alongside the boat
00:36:08using weighted rings.
00:36:10Ah!
00:36:12Ah!
00:36:14Ah!
00:36:16Ah!
00:36:18Ah!
00:36:20Ah!
00:36:22Ah!
00:36:25The salmon are then completely trapped within the seine.
00:36:28There is no escape.
00:36:31Now the focus is to get the captured fish on deck
00:36:34as soon as possible so that the net can be set again.
00:36:43The same process is done over and over again,
00:36:46up to 18 times a day,
00:36:48as fast as possible for the entire day,
00:36:51for every day of each opening.
00:38:21Music
00:38:26Music
00:38:31Music
00:38:36Music
00:38:41Music
00:38:46Music
00:38:51Music
00:38:56Music
00:39:01Music
00:39:06Music
00:39:11Music
00:39:16That's it.
00:39:18After working for 12 hours, considered a short day,
00:39:21the fishing is done.
00:39:23But as a crew member, the day is not over.
00:39:25After catching salmon,
00:39:27they must immediately deliver them to a processor
00:39:30or offload onto a packer.
00:39:32Many of these packers are the same boats that fish for crab
00:39:36in the dangerous Bering Sea.
00:39:38Music
00:39:43Music
00:39:48Music
00:39:53Music
00:39:57A large vacuum is used to suck the salmon onto a conveyor boat
00:40:01where they are sorted by species.
00:40:03There are five species of salmon in Alaska
00:40:06and each species has a nickname.
00:40:08The Chinook salmon is also known as the king,
00:40:11the coho as a silver,
00:40:13the sockeye as a red,
00:40:15the chum as a dog,
00:40:17and the pink as a hump.
00:40:19It may sound confusing,
00:40:21but each species fetches a different price,
00:40:24so fishermen quickly learn to spot the differences.
00:40:29The salmon are weighed and deposited into the refrigerated belly of the boat.
00:40:33Music
00:40:37So we had 36 dogs.
00:40:39Music
00:40:50After collecting salmon from the sanders on the fishing ground,
00:40:53the packers will immediately head for a processing plant.
00:40:56The fishermen, anticipating word on where they'll next be allowed to fish,
00:41:01anchor up and blow off some steam.
00:41:03Music
00:41:05Get the dog, get the balls, get your can, whatever.
00:41:08Laughter
00:41:10Get that camera off me before I go drowning.
00:41:12Laughter
00:41:13Go ahead and block.
00:41:14Laughter
00:41:18It's actually not that cold.
00:41:20Laughter
00:41:22There you go.
00:41:24Laughter
00:41:52Farmed salmon, they're lacking in flavor,
00:41:55they're lacking in juices, they're fed with this grain that's,
00:41:59I don't know what the hell it is, but it sucks.
00:42:01They're pinned in a very tight area and they're susceptible to disease.
00:42:05It lays around and it doesn't swim much, its muscles go slack.
00:42:09If you go into like one of the tourist shops and you buy one of those rubber fish,
00:42:13those rubber salmon, they kind of look like that.
00:42:15It just looks, they're kind of molded out of something.
00:42:17Growth hormones are a problem and they're a health hazard.
00:42:21It's not a very good product.
00:42:23It's full of disease, it's shot full of dye.
00:42:25Chock full of PCBs and terrible chemicals.
00:42:30I wouldn't eat a farmed fish.
00:42:32It is not a healthy beast.
00:42:33And they taste like crap.
00:42:35Yeah, don't eat farmed fish more than once a week.
00:42:37Disease.
00:42:38Disease.
00:42:39Diseases.
00:42:40Disease.
00:42:41Antibiotics.
00:42:42Antibiotics.
00:42:43Antibiotics.
00:42:44Pesticides too.
00:42:46It's just bland.
00:42:47Their flesh is a lot softer.
00:42:49A mushy noodle versus one that's prepared right.
00:42:52Their meat's all gray.
00:42:53The flesh is colorless.
00:42:55They inject a full of dyes.
00:42:57And they're fatty.
00:42:58It is the worst tasting thing on earth.
00:43:00We'll take the Pepsi challenge any day of the week.
00:43:03They're making people sick who eat them.
00:43:16Salmon farms have popped up along inlets and coves
00:43:19along the entire coast of British Columbia.
00:43:23They now share space in pristine areas
00:43:26with diverse and thriving wildlife.
00:43:30Many of them surround Vancouver Island
00:43:33which supplies the U.S. and Asian markets
00:43:36with 2.5 million kilograms of dressed farmed salmon every week.
00:43:41I ventured to Tofino, B.C. near Clackawass Sound,
00:43:45a beautiful area with dazzling coasts, sandy beaches,
00:43:48old growth forests, abundant wildlife, and 24 fish farms.
00:43:54I alerted farmers of my planned trip
00:43:56and hoped to obtain some interviews
00:43:58but they said that no one would be available.
00:44:01When I contacted the Friends of Clackawass Sound,
00:44:03an environmental group opposed to fish farms,
00:44:06I was offered a place to stay and a free tour of the Sound.
00:44:10The Friends had planned to dive near a fish farm
00:44:13to capture footage of the effects of the farm on the seabed floor.
00:44:17The farmers were not happy and I was right there to capture it all.
00:44:41Right now.
00:44:47Right now.
00:44:50Right now.
00:44:55Call both the farm before you do this.
00:44:58Diego.
00:45:00We told them two weeks ago about this.
00:45:02I spoke to the RCMP, PFO, and Coast Guard
00:45:05and no one said it was trespassing or anything.
00:45:07Provincial Canyon, right?
00:45:09Yes.
00:45:10I'm hearing you've spoken to Barney and Ray.
00:45:12Yeah.
00:45:13Barney and Ray don't have the ultimate authority
00:45:15over what happens within the Chief's territory.
00:45:17We have that authority to make that decision
00:45:20and whether they not give you permission to do this,
00:45:23it's well and done.
00:45:26As of now, you have no permission to do that in my territory.
00:45:31This is the territory that I hold until such time
00:45:34that I pass this on to somebody else here.
00:45:39Okay, thank you.
00:45:40We're going to go anchor up and I will call Moses.
00:45:43We're going to be there with you guys.
00:45:45Okay, that's fine.
00:46:02The seas have been overfished.
00:46:05Scientists predict that major seafood stocks
00:46:08will completely collapse by 2048.
00:46:12Up to 90% of the ocean's major predator stocks
00:46:15have already been wiped out.
00:46:19Farming carnivores like salmon are making matters worse.
00:46:23It requires the capture of wild fish
00:46:25to feed the farm-raised salmon.
00:46:28Many people believe that raising farm salmon
00:46:31would leave wild salmon stocks free to sustain themselves.
00:46:36But researchers in Canada have demonstrated
00:46:39that the sea lice that thrive on salmon farms
00:46:41are actually decimating wild salmon runs.
00:46:47Walmart will not sell farmed salmon
00:46:49because it is not a sustainable industry.
00:46:54Salmon farms are plagued with diseases.
00:46:56When a disease breaks out in a farmed population,
00:46:59they are quickly rushed to market.
00:47:02If parasites soften the flesh beyond marketability,
00:47:06they are canned.
00:47:08If the decay is beyond canning,
00:47:10they are left to rot on barges with the maggots.
00:47:17Despite all of the negative factors
00:47:19associated with farmed salmon,
00:47:2190% of the salmon sold in the United States today
00:47:25is farm-raised.
00:47:28Seals and sea lions are also attracted to the farmed salmon.
00:47:32Over 5,000 seals and sea lions have been slaughtered.
00:47:38The tide of public opinion is turning against farmed salmon.
00:47:41Guarding against negative press,
00:47:43salmon farmers patrol surrounding areas
00:47:45to keep people away.
00:47:48We're now inside our canyons.
00:47:52You keep telling us at our table
00:47:54when we see a crash,
00:47:56you don't much respect the Chief's decisions.
00:47:59The decision that I'm making right now
00:48:01is asking you guys not to proceed
00:48:03with what you're doing here.
00:48:05We have tried very hard for years
00:48:07to protect this region with all respect to First Nations.
00:48:10Lots of times we don't agree on some particulars.
00:48:12That's not because we don't respect First Nations.
00:48:15And until there's a legal land claims,
00:48:17which hasn't happened,
00:48:20with all respect,
00:48:21whether Clayoquot likes or doesn't like the dive,
00:48:24the dive can happen.
00:48:26You can call the cops.
00:48:27We've called the cops.
00:48:28Spencer's called the cops.
00:48:29We are on notice that it's dangerous.
00:48:31We accept that it's dangerous.
00:48:32And we're just going to do it.
00:48:46And all we want to do is to show people what's down there.
00:48:49We want to go take video, take some photos,
00:48:51and show people and say this is what we're talking about
00:48:53when we sit down.
00:48:54We know what we're talking about.
00:48:56I mean, have you been under there?
00:48:57Do you know what it looks like?
00:48:58Are you curious what it looks like?
00:49:00It's just information that we want to give people
00:49:02to show people what is beyond the site, right?
00:49:05Beyond our site right now.
00:49:07We don't know what it looks like.
00:49:08Why on a Sunday?
00:49:10Why not on a Sunday?
00:49:11That's the time I'm not working,
00:49:12so in the morning I try to...
00:49:24According to the Friends of Clackawas Sound,
00:49:27there are five fundamental flaws to farm salmon.
00:49:32Number one is waste.
00:49:35Salmon farms containing 500,000 to 700,000 fish apiece
00:49:40can discharge untreated feces
00:49:42equivalent to a town of 20,000 people.
00:49:45With 138 fish farms in British Columbia,
00:49:48that's equivalent to 2,000 people.
00:49:52In addition to feces,
00:49:53farms discharge contaminated feed,
00:49:56toxic chemicals, and artificial colorings.
00:49:59What is that stuff?
00:50:01The only industrial farm really in Canada
00:50:05that's permitted to not treat their waste.
00:50:08The waste of the animals just goes into the ocean,
00:50:11and people really don't have a good time with it.
00:50:16Just goes into the ocean,
00:50:17and people really don't have a good sense
00:50:21of what happens after that.
00:50:23So this is from the seabed floor,
00:50:25so because you've got such high densities of fish,
00:50:28they're being fed tons and tons of feed a day,
00:50:30and that feed goes to the bottom of the sea,
00:50:32and you've also got the fish feces
00:50:34from the thousands of salmon on the farm,
00:50:36so the bed turns into marine desert.
00:50:40You've got anoxic sediments, you've got lack of oxygen,
00:50:43and you've got this horrible black sediment,
00:50:46which stinks.
00:50:48It's polluted.
00:50:49This is symptomatic of a polluted environment.
00:50:51So this is why we're trying to dive onto the farms
00:50:54to see the impact for ourselves,
00:50:56the impact on the marine life,
00:50:58but really under a salmon farm and around a salmon farm,
00:51:01it's like a dead zone.
00:51:09Disease is the greatest threat to farmers
00:51:11and has wiped out entire farm populations.
00:51:14The Kidoa parasite costs B.C. farms
00:51:17$30 million to $40 million a year.
00:51:19It actually liquefies the flesh of farm salmon.
00:51:24And the sea lice from these farms
00:51:26are decimating wild salmon populations.
00:51:30So for me to see the sea lice was a big one.
00:51:34You know, none of it, this didn't really hit home.
00:51:37It all seemed, you know, okay, if somebody says this,
00:51:39a little hearsay there, a little hearsay there.
00:51:41Oh, it's a scientific report, sure, you know.
00:51:44But it wasn't until I was out in the inlet last year
00:51:48around the Broughton,
00:51:50and the researchers were scooping in
00:51:53like hundreds and hundreds of these little baby fish,
00:51:55and every single fish was covered in lice.
00:51:58Like one or two lice on a juvenile fish is fatal,
00:52:02and these things had like, you know, 50 lice.
00:52:05Between 30 and 50 lice, like it was just, you know,
00:52:08way beyond the lethal limit.
00:52:10And all of them were like this.
00:52:12And I was, I'd been kind of joking around that day,
00:52:15like having a good time,
00:52:17and it was just one of those moments where I just,
00:52:19it was like I kind of hit a wall.
00:52:21And it was like, it felt like I was in the middle of a horror movie,
00:52:26you know, like this can't be happening, because it hit me,
00:52:29you know, that these fish are not going to make it to sea.
00:52:32They're definitely not going to survive to adulthood.
00:52:36These fish are toast.
00:52:38They're not coming back.
00:52:40So everything here that's going to,
00:52:42that's here because of the salmon,
00:52:44the whales, the bears, the eagles,
00:52:46all, everything else, like the millions, the little things,
00:52:49like, you know, wild salmon are the lifeblood of the coast.
00:52:52It's what everything depends on, everything.
00:52:54The First Nations, the people, the whole ecosystem,
00:52:56everything depends on it.
00:52:58Like I can't even imagine.
00:53:00And, you know, it's just, it was happening, you know,
00:53:02and up until now I'd been,
00:53:04you know, something might happen, something might happen.
00:53:06No, like it's happening.
00:53:1299% of the salmon from six rivers vanished.
00:53:173.6 million spawning salmon
00:53:20dropped to 147,000 in a single generation.
00:53:29Number three, escapements.
00:53:32Escaped salmon are predominantly Atlantic salmon,
00:53:35a foreign species to the Pacific Ocean.
00:53:38The escaped salmon transfer parasites and disease
00:53:41to wild salmon and compete for breeding ground.
00:53:44The escaped Atlantics are colonizing basically all our rivers.
00:53:47There are escaped Atlantics everywhere,
00:53:49everywhere around here, up around Atlio
00:53:51and around the hollows of these Atlantics and the rivers.
00:53:53And they come in at the wrong time.
00:53:55They come in later on.
00:53:57They physically trash up the wild reds.
00:53:59Also, in her wisdom in nature,
00:54:01the wild fish, when they hit the intro, they stop feeding.
00:54:04So when they hit the rivers, they're not actually consuming
00:54:07smolts or oolacan larvae or small baby codfish or whatever.
00:54:12Whereas now with the farmed escaped Atlantics,
00:54:15when they're in the rivers,
00:54:17they're munching away on the wild fish.
00:54:19Why do Alaskans care?
00:54:21Well, because salmon travel.
00:54:23Escaped farmed salmon have been found as far north as the Bering Sea.
00:54:27A Chinook salmon tagged in the central Aleutian Islands
00:54:30was captured a year later in the Salmon River, Idaho,
00:54:333,500 miles away.
00:54:36Escaped farmed Atlantics have been found
00:54:38attempting to spawn in 80 BC river systems,
00:54:42including this one caught in the Scott River.
00:54:46Massive new super farms being built in northern British Columbia
00:54:50are within just 30 miles of Alaska.
00:54:54Number four, toxins and chemicals.
00:54:58Antiparasitics, antifoulants, antibiotics,
00:55:02and artificial colorings are all used in farmed salmon.
00:55:06In January 2004, in an article in Science magazine,
00:55:09a study was presented that found that farmed salmon
00:55:12was contaminated with 14 cancer-causing chemicals.
00:55:17You've got a whole range of ways chemicals are used on farms.
00:55:21There's disinfectants, there's antibiotics.
00:55:24Here in Clackawassan, Creative Salmon used a quarter of a ton of oxytetracycline.
00:55:29That's an antibiotic that humans take as well.
00:55:32There's also sea lice chemicals.
00:55:34Because you've got parasite infestation on salmon farms,
00:55:38because they're crammed at such high densities,
00:55:41salmon farmers, just like cattle farmers and sheep farmers and pig farmers,
00:55:45they use chemicals to get rid of these parasites.
00:55:48And there's also artificial colorings, and they go in via the feed.
00:55:52So some of the chemicals are actually used in the feed,
00:55:56and sometimes the farmed salmon are bathed in chemicals as well.
00:56:00And then there's injectable vaccines,
00:56:03which are injected into the flesh of the salmon.
00:56:05So this is not a natural product.
00:56:11Number five, sustainability.
00:56:15This is what some call the fatal flaw of farmed salmon.
00:56:20Globally we have a net loss of protein.
00:56:23Salmon are carnivores.
00:56:25We have to feed them fish meal, fish oil.
00:56:28I think the industry is somewhere around three kilograms of input
00:56:31to get one kilogram of basically farmed salmon.
00:56:34So producing farmed fish causes a net loss to the world's food supply.
00:56:39It is not producing food. It is reducing the food supply.
00:56:45After diving, the friends of Clackawitz Sound toured other farms in the Sound,
00:56:50and their new friends followed them around.
00:56:54They were going to observe the scheduled harvesting of farmed salmon,
00:56:58but the collection boat was sent home and processors sat idle
00:57:02just because they were there with a camera.
00:57:06Farmers called the cops,
00:57:08who verified that everything the friends had done was within the law.
00:57:13But the friends returned home to find that they had again been vandalized.
00:57:25Day four.
00:57:27Back in Alaska, the Viking Maid anchors up for the night after a long day of fishing.
00:57:34The guys jumped into the skiff to find cell phone range.
00:57:38And on the way out, they saw some whales.
00:58:08Strict laws mandate that mariners must stay at least 100 yards away from whales,
00:58:13and that people must not stay in the same vicinity for more than 30 minutes.
00:58:20The Viking Maid had spent the entire day participating in a cost recovery.
00:58:25They received no money for the day's work.
00:58:28All the money for the fish went to support the hatchery.
00:58:32Fishermen support hatcheries to keep the whales alive,
00:58:36Fishermen support hatcheries run by non-profits under state approval
00:58:41because they supplement salmon available to fishermen,
00:58:44while also taking pressure off the wild stocks.
00:58:47On the way back to the cove, the whales moved in closer to check out the skiff.
00:59:18Day five.
00:59:20Back in Alaska, the Viking Maid anchors up for the night after a long day of fishing.
00:59:24The guys jumped into the skiff to find cell phone range.
00:59:27The guys jumped into the skiff to find cell phone range.
00:59:30The guys jumped into the skiff to find cell phone range.
00:59:33The guys jumped into the skiff to find cell phone range.
00:59:36The guys jumped into the skiff to find cell phone range.
00:59:39The guys jumped into the skiff to find cell phone range.
00:59:42The guys jumped into the skiff to find cell phone range.
00:59:45The guys jumped into the skiff to find cell phone range.
00:59:48The guys jumped into the skiff to find cell phone range.
00:59:51The guys jumped into the skiff to find cell phone range.
00:59:54The guys jumped into the skiff to find cell phone range.
01:00:03Day five is a non-fishing day as dictated by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.
01:00:09The Viking Maid and others travel further north to areas that will be open to fishing the next day.
01:00:15Because of distances traveled, fishermen are many times forced to stay on the fishing grounds between openings.
01:00:22A lot of this time is spent figuring out where to fish next.
01:00:26But the fishermen also get a chance to kick back and soak up all the beauty that surrounds them in southeast Alaska.
01:00:35Conservation of all natural resources is written in the Constitution of the State of Alaska.
01:00:40It is the only state in the union with a constitutional mandate for preservation of fish and wildlife resources, and the state has done very well.
01:00:50Alaska's is the only wild salmon fisheries program in the world to be certified by the Marine Stewardship Council as well-managed and sustainable.
01:01:01Since farmed salmon are not considered sustainable and threaten wild salmon, Alaskans adopted legislation in 1990 that banned the practice in the state.
01:01:14Historically, the Alaskan Department of Fish and Game has done a phenomenal job managing the more than 15,000 streams in Alaska while still enabling for strong industry.
01:01:25In the late 80s, Alaskan salmon dominated the U.S. market and had captured over 90% of the Japanese market.
01:01:33But then farmed salmon hit the world stage and went from producing a mere 1% of the world's supply of salmon to more than 60% in 2002.
01:01:44Farmed salmon from Chile have now captured 70% of the Japanese market.
01:01:48And 90% of all salmon produced in British Columbia are shipped directly to the United States.
01:01:54Farmed fish has dramatically dropped the price of my canned salmon from when I was getting a dollar a pound down to eight, nine cents a pound.
01:02:05So the impact of farmed fish has really destructed my livelihood.
01:02:10Pink salmon prices fell from record highs in 1988 of $1.20 a pound to record lows of nine cents a pound in 2002.
01:02:21In 1987, we had 197,000 pounds of fish for $189,000.
01:02:30Last year, we caught over two million pounds for a total gross stock, before expenses or any of this stuff, for about $200,000.
01:02:43That's two million pounds.
01:02:46As operating costs continued to rise and real prices continued to fall, 37% of fishermen were forced to quit the business.
01:02:56Wards Cove Cannery in Ketchikan, Alaska, closed in the winter of 2002.
01:03:03The fish market was in a state of crisis.
01:03:06My story is kind of a, it's not really too different than a lot of guys, but I had my own boat for years, and I got a family of boys, and I've got six boys and one daughter.
01:03:17And I had a dream to, you know, one day take all my kids fishing on the boat and become a fisherman.
01:03:24I had my own boat for years, and I got a family of boys, and I've got six boys and one daughter.
01:03:30And I had a dream to, you know, one day take all my kids fishing on the boat and become a fisherman.
01:03:36And because of what's happened, economically, from the farm salmon, I call it the farm salmon fallout, I ended up having to sell my boat, having to sell my house.
01:03:55So, you know, in a sense, your dreams kind of go up in smoke.
01:04:04The Alaskan salmon industry has taken a hit from the emergence of farm salmon across the globe.
01:04:11Many have been forced to quit the business, and those that remain must catch more fish than ever before.
01:04:18And so a lot of folks lost their jobs, and so the rest of us have had the opportunity to catch more fish maybe, but at these prices, we certainly haven't made any more money.
01:04:33But we've had to work a little harder.
01:04:36Back to the Viking Maid, which had traveled north from Hidden Falls and had anchored up next to a potential fishing point just south of Basket Bay.
01:04:46The day is spent doing routine maintenance, checking the net, looking for jumps, and checking in with other fishermen.
01:04:53I'm all for trying to make the company make a go of it, but if we can't survive, what's the point?
01:04:59You know, what's the point?
01:05:08See, we just gotta keep on going, and we've got to do it.
01:05:14We're trying to make the company make a go of it,
01:05:16but if we can't survive, what's the point?
01:05:20You know, what's the point?
01:05:26You can load your boat and it's not that much money, you know.
01:05:29That's the sad thing about it.
01:05:32There's no money.
01:05:34The thinking early on was,
01:05:36there's no way we can generate the kind of money
01:05:39it's going to take to mount a media campaign
01:05:42to beat up on these guys.
01:05:44If the Alaska salmon industry
01:05:47had something bad to say about beef, for instance,
01:05:50we could be crushed overnight
01:05:53in one Super Bowl ad or something.
01:05:56And we're not going to pick any fights
01:05:59with somebody that's got a bigger bank account than we do.
01:06:02The farm salmon industry has a savvy
01:06:05and effective media marketing and advertising campaign.
01:06:10But Alaskan fishermen have seen a lot of factual reporting
01:06:13about farm salmon in the media.
01:06:16Like Brad Haynes, Russell's nephew,
01:06:19owner and captain of the Yankee.
01:06:22You know, the media is what has helped us all out,
01:06:25you know, just hands down.
01:06:27The media has put the scare in the general consumer
01:06:30about, you know, the dyes and the toxins
01:06:33that go into the farm salmon.
01:06:36I hope, you know, nature's just taking its own course.
01:06:40Actually, farm salmon suffered kind of its own meltdown.
01:06:45A quality-conscious consumer has said,
01:06:48hey, not only has this fish got some problems with it,
01:06:52it doesn't even taste that good either.
01:06:55A side-by-side taste test with a wild salmon
01:06:59is a hands-down winner for Alaska salmon every time.
01:07:03And it's coming back a little bit now, you know,
01:07:06but there's no leaps and bounds.
01:07:08The cost of doing business is huge
01:07:11compared to the increase in what we're getting in salmon.
01:07:15I'm not going to get millions of dollars out of this.
01:07:18I'm going to get a nice family wage, hopefully,
01:07:22and be able to continue to do it.
01:07:24I mean, that's what I bought into it for.
01:07:28It is our last day of fishing on board Viking Maine.
01:07:34Mike, how are you today?
01:07:36Doing good?
01:07:37Doing good.
01:07:39Looks really good.
01:07:42Long hair this morning?
01:07:45No.
01:07:46Nice and neat.
01:07:49Yeah, next step?
01:07:51Yeah, man.
01:07:54Ah, Toge, ooh, Bowser.
01:07:57Bowser, look at him go.
01:08:00We're just going to breastline it.
01:08:02It's going to be pretty heavy.
01:08:06That's about 3,000 pounds to start off the day.
01:08:10With the net back on,
01:08:12it's time to get on the boat and get right to it.
01:08:16The boat is in the water.
01:08:18We're going to dive in.
01:08:20It's going to be a bit of a challenge.
01:08:24We're going to go down the rapids.
01:08:26We're going to get a little light.
01:08:28We're going to get some light.
01:08:30We're going to get some light.
01:08:32day. With the net back in the water, Jared has time to make a favorite snack using
01:08:39canned salmon.
01:08:44Did you really drink that?
01:08:47Yeah. It's good.
01:08:49Just like salmon oil.
01:08:51Salmon oil.
01:08:58Oh, red salmon and salt.
01:09:01The workhouse has been shut down.
01:09:04Why is it where we used to work?
01:09:0625 years and they shut down on us.
01:09:10It's a market.
01:09:18This is where I lived off in college right here.
01:09:20It's a caucasian.
01:09:22Caucasian.
01:09:25Fishermen eat salmon all the time.
01:09:27And the amazing thing is, they never seem to get enough of it.
01:09:31We eat a lot of salmon.
01:09:33Sure.
01:09:35I mean, it's fantastic food.
01:09:37It's the best food there is.
01:09:39And it's here.
01:09:41Every day.
01:09:43I eat salmon or seafood at least six days a week.
01:09:46Sometimes five days a week.
01:09:48I'll have it twice a day.
01:09:50There's all kinds of ways you can add spices and
01:09:53complement the salmon flavor, but
01:09:55I guess I like it straight up almost.
01:09:58You can make salmon fettuccine,
01:10:00salmon casserole,
01:10:02or salmon spread is one of our favorites.
01:10:04You know, just blending in different ways.
01:10:06We grill it. We bake it.
01:10:08Put mayonnaise and cheese on it.
01:10:10Smoked salmon, dried salmon.
01:10:12Baked, broiled, sauteed.
01:10:14We make ceviche out of it.
01:10:16Cured lightly and dried.
01:10:17Smoke it, pan it.
01:10:19Poaching it's good.
01:10:20Barbecue.
01:10:21We eat salmon raw.
01:10:22Try to eat it the same way twice.
01:10:23You can even microwave it.
01:10:25Any way you cook salmon is a good way to cook it
01:10:27as long as it's wild salmon.
01:10:29Can't go wrong.
01:10:31Don't overcook it. You're fine.
01:10:33The leftovers are the best part for me.
01:10:36The salmon spread is definitely where it's at.
01:10:39You treat it like tuna fish.
01:10:41You do the same thing with it as you would tuna fish,
01:10:46but it's so much better.
01:10:48It tastes so much better than tuna fish.
01:10:50There's just no competing with Mother Nature
01:10:53when it comes to quality food.
01:10:56The fish that we're producing today, fleet-wide,
01:10:59is the finest quality fish that's ever been produced.
01:11:04It's an excellent product.
01:11:06As far as farm compared to wild, you don't compare.
01:11:13If you think that farm fish is similar, it's not.
01:11:16I mean, I know fish.
01:11:19Fresh salmon, freshly prepared,
01:11:22it's got a super wonderful flavor,
01:11:25and it just feels richer.
01:11:28It's much nicer than farm salmon.
01:11:43A lot of folks look at Alaska as a big park.
01:11:47It's a beautiful place, but with our technology,
01:11:50we can do industry and different things
01:11:54with the natural resources and do them right.
01:11:58I mean, that's why they were put here, I believe.
01:12:01God put trees here.
01:12:03He put minerals here.
01:12:05He put fish here for human beings to utilize.
01:12:09And with our technology, we can utilize these things
01:12:12and still not mess up the environment.
01:12:15It's a proven fact. We can do it.
01:12:18Humans are pretty smart.
01:12:23It's not about the money.
01:12:25It's about being out here and doing a job,
01:12:27and there's a lot of jobs you can do.
01:12:30But to be out here and to do what we do every day,
01:12:36there's not really anything quite like it.
01:12:39It's not just out here working 9 to 5 in some office.
01:12:45Yeah, okay, it's rough and everything,
01:12:47and there's the upsides and downsides.
01:12:49At the end of the day, you're working hard,
01:12:52you're feeding people,
01:12:55you are seeing beautiful things every day.
01:12:59Every day is something that you just say,
01:13:03wow, I've never seen that before.
01:13:06Really long stream coming up.
01:13:14Pretty exciting to see that you've accomplished
01:13:19what you've set out to do.
01:13:21You've harnessed the tide, the currents,
01:13:23and you beat Mother Nature taking a few fish away from her.
01:13:27So that's pretty exciting,
01:13:29and it keeps you on your toes trying to do the best.
01:13:37I don't think I could ever leave Alaska.
01:13:41It's the wide-open spaces, you get used to that.
01:13:46The hunting, the fishing,
01:13:48whether it's sport fishing or commercial fishing,
01:13:51it's truly a great place.
01:13:53I don't think I could ever leave.
01:14:00I've visited quite a few different places,
01:14:03and I haven't found any place on Earth
01:14:07that I'd rather live other than Alaska.
01:14:11Alaska's an excellent place to grow up and to raise children.
01:14:18I really enjoy Alaska.
01:14:20I'm glad I grew up here.
01:14:22I wouldn't trade it for the world.
01:14:25I really wouldn't.
01:14:27I love to fish.
01:14:29I'd do it for nothing.
01:14:31I'd do it for nothing.
01:14:33No, I take that back.
01:14:35I'd do it for, you know, I've done it for less, let's say that.
01:14:54Margarita time.
01:14:56Looking at the rest of, you know, I've been to Mexico
01:15:00and I've been on the East Coast of the U.S.
01:15:03and a lot of other places around,
01:15:07we're pretty spoiled up here.
01:15:09I mean, we are real spoiled.
01:15:12But I couldn't imagine living anywhere else.
01:15:15I mean, it's just, where else can you do this?
01:15:18I mean, what a view, you know, a room with a view.
01:15:22It's a...
01:15:24But you have to like the outdoors, you know.
01:15:27It's an adventure just being alive.
01:15:30You really have to like the outdoors.
01:15:33Fish jumping right here, going south.
01:15:36But it's, um, it's home.
01:15:45I think it's a good place to grow up.
01:15:47I mean, it's beautiful.
01:15:49You don't have to deal with the city too much.
01:15:52I mean, Ketchikan is kind of turning into a, whatever,
01:15:56outdoorsy place, but you can still go hike trails
01:15:59and see the mountains and the ocean.
01:16:02That's the thing I needed the most is the ocean.
01:16:05I can't live where there's no ocean around, so...
01:16:21Just keep reading them health books
01:16:23and keep watching the health TV show
01:16:25and just believe what they say about the wild salmon
01:16:28and how great it is for you.
01:16:30Keep me in with the job.
01:16:35Eat fish. Eat fish.
01:16:38There's real people out here catching them, and they're good.
01:16:41And there's lots of them.
01:16:43So whenever you eat a wild fish from the state of Alaska,
01:16:47don't be afraid you're eating an endangered species
01:16:50because that's far from the truth, far from the truth.
01:16:53Come on up and see.
01:16:55I'll take you for a ride, and we'll show you some fish.
01:17:08That's the end of our trip on board the Viking Maid.
01:17:12Russell and the crew will head down to Petersburg
01:17:15to offload salmon
01:17:17and then head back down to catch camp for another opening.
01:17:23For them, the season has just begun,
01:17:26and they're hoping for many, many more to come.
01:17:31But that won't happen unless everyone out there
01:17:34starts eating some wild Alaskan salmon.
01:17:37So on behalf of all the fishing vessels
01:17:40and all of the fishermen involved in the Alaskan salmon industry,
01:17:44and to protect the only sustainable salmon fishery in the world,
01:17:48which is also constitutionally state-mandated
01:17:52to protect salmon, to protect the environment,
01:17:55and to protect your own health
01:17:57against the encroachment of farmed salmon,
01:18:00be sure to eat only wild Alaskan salmon.
01:18:04And keep in mind a favourite Alaskan slogan.
01:18:07Friends don't let friends eat farmed fish.
01:18:11Thanks for watching. I hope you enjoyed the show.
01:18:41Transcribed by ESO, translated by —
01:19:11www.subsedit.com