Trident planning big chill in Bristol Bay

The Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association posted this today on its Web site:

Oct. 30, 2009

Trident introduces dedicated tenders for chilled fish

In a letter to its Bristol Bay fleet dated Oct. 22, Trident Seafoods announced it will introduce dedicated tenders for fishermen who chill their catch.

The BBRSDA wishes to extend its support to Trident for taking this step.

Board member Mike LaRussa's reaction was typical of the board.

"This is pretty big. It's an early signal of a major shift taking place in Bristol Bay. I remember two or three years ago, the board was discussing this as one of the indicators we would watch for to tell us that our 'Quality, Quality, Quality' message was showing results. We still have a lot of work to do, obviously, to see that everybody in the bay is able to deliver a top-notch product. But this is encouraging."

Dedicated tenders will enable Trident — and eventually other processors as well — to send dry fish to canning lines and chilled fish to fillet and H&G lines. According to board member Chris McDowell, "The aggregate quality of their frozen pack will likely see a substantial jump, at a time when the H&G market seems to be heating up a little."

LaRussa quoted the letter he received from Trident: "The plan is to start this program in the Egegik and Naknek districts in 2010, making every attempt to segregate chilled and nonchilled sockeye. This will allow us to channel your best fish and our best fish to premium-value product forms for fresh sales and fillets — products that offer better value and return."