Another company looks to sell

Readers will recall a big deal in 2020 when two legacy processors, Ocean Beauty and Icicle, announced a merger of their salmon and Gulf of Alaska groundfish operations, forming a new company called OBI Seafoods.

Remnants of both Ocean Beauty and Icicle were left over.

Now, one of those remnants, Ocean Beauty, says its distribution business is for sale. The operations include seven seafood distribution locations in Astoria, Boise, Dallas, Helena, Portland, Renton, and Salt Lake City.

Ocean Beauty's owners, including Bristol Bay Economic Development Corp. and three individuals, are "looking to turn their focus to other investments," a press release says.

Ocean Beauty also operates two smoking and processing plants in Washington state.

Ocean Beauty is still around, has a new website

Details in this press release.

Ocean Beauty, Icicle announce partial merger

Here's the press release.

Ocean Beauty cannery offered for sale

Back in August, Ocean Beauty Seafoods said it was closing its Petersburg cannery permanently.

Now the plant is up for sale. Asking price: $3.39 million.

Bridge work to aid Ocean Beauty

U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, has announced a deal for bridge repairs vital to processor Ocean Beauty's Excursion Inlet cannery.

Ocean Beauty wins Philippines food aid contract

Ocean Beauty Seafoods has won a state contract to supply a large volume of canned Alaska pink salmon for disaster relief in the Philippines.

Ocean Beauty edged out three other processors — Icicle, Peter Pan and Trident — with a low bid of $246,758.

The state invited bids for a minimum of 6,048 cases of pink salmon, with each case containing two dozen 14.75-ounce cans.

The fish is going to Cebu, Philippines, where a devastating typhoon as well as a strong earthquake struck last year.

Alaska's salmon industry has a huge inventory of canned salmon onhand, thanks to last year's record pink salmon harvest.

The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute is paying for the Philippines donation with "industry assessment funds," spokesman Tyson Fick says.

Ocean Beauty to be ready at Petersburg

Tom Sunderland of Ocean Beauty Seafoods tells Deckboss the company plans to open its Petersburg cannery for this year's salmon season.

You'll recall the plant was closed last year after the state ferry Matanuska crashed into the dock on May 7, causing considerable damage.

Southeast Alaska is expecting a big pink salmon harvest this summer, and the Petersburg plant will be ready, Sunderland said.

'Maneuvering error'

Remember back in May when a state ferry crashed into the Ocean Beauty Seafoods dock in Petersburg?

Well, a state investigation has determined the captain "made a maneuvering error."

Ocean Beauty shutters damaged Petersburg plant

Seattle-based Ocean Beauty Seafoods won't operate its Petersburg cannery this year due to damage sustained when the state ferry Matanuska crashed into the plant May 7.

Ocean Beauty has arranged to process fish elsewhere, including at its Excursion Inlet plant.

Here's the company press release.

The Petersburg plant usually runs from late June to mid-September and employs 160 to 180 people from all over the United States and Mexico, Ocean Beauty's website says.

Deckboss imagines the weak pink salmon forecast made the shutdown decision a little easier.

Recall that Ocean Beauty idled the Petersburg plant before, in 2010, in expectation of a low pink return.

A little mishap

Word out of Petersburg is the state ferry Matanuska whammed the dock at Ocean Beauty Seafoods today, causing considerable damage.

Here's the best coverage I've seen, including photos.

Eagle episode ends for Ocean Beauty

Sounds like Ocean Beauty Seafoods is in the clear on those eagles.

You remember this slimy story.

One day in January 2008, a flock of ravenous bald eagles took a deadly dive into a truckload of fish waste at the company's Kodiak processing plant.

It was a stampede in the mire, coating birds in goo that left them vulnerable to the cold. Federal wildlife officials said 23 eagles died with another 29 held for rehabilitation.

Ocean Beauty executives apologized profusely, saying the eagles hit before workers could cover the load for the drive to the town's fishmeal plant.

The company donated $11,000 to bird-care organizations plus fish to feed the recovering eagles.

But federal law protects bald eagles, and Ocean Beauty faced a possible civil or criminal enforcement action.

But that's not going to happen.

Federal prosecutors have decided not to bring a case against Ocean Beauty, Bruce Woods, spokesman for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, told Deckboss today.

Petersburg — Alaska's fishing centenarian

The Alaska Department of Labor has a nifty profile of Petersburg in the May issue of its newsletter, "Alaska Economic Trends."

"Ask Alaskans what they know about Petersburg and if they don't know anything else, you can be sure they'll mention at least two things: fishing and Norway," the article begins.

Here's a few noteworthy observations from the four-page spread:

• Petersburg's estimated population last year was 2,973, down about 250 since the 2000 census.

• The town's economy faces challenges including a decline in halibut catch limits and this summer's closure of the Ocean Beauty Seafoods processing plant. The shutdown is expected to be for this season only, due to a poor pink salmon forecast.

• The town's top employer is Icicle Seafoods.

• More and more tourists are coming to Petersburg, now exceeding 50,000 a year. But don't look for the giant cruise ships that call on other Southeast Alaska towns, as Petersburg lacks a deep-water port.

Deckboss recommends you also check out another article in the Labor Department newsletter pertaining to self-employment in Alaska.

Commercial fishermen, it seems, are in the occupational category with the highest concentration of self-employed people.

"Fishermen are the quintessential Alaskan group of self-employed — rugged individuals, out there in the open seas, with their own boat and crew," the article says.

Click here to see the newsletter.

Peter Pan, Ocean Beauty chiefs keep ASMI seats

Gov. Sarah Palin's office sent this out today:

Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute board of directors

Gov. Palin reappointed Barry Collier and Mark Palmer to the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute board of directors.

Collier, of Edmonds, Wash., has been president and chief executive officer of Seattle-based Peter Pan Seafoods Inc. since 1997, and vice president of administrative operations from 1989-97. His career also includes service as administrative assistant, then president of the Pacific Seafood Processors Association from 1985-89, two years as executive director of the North Pacific Fishing Vessel Owners’ Association, and two years as executive manager of the Purse Seine Vessel Owners’ Association. Collier earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Puget Sound in 1978. He has served on the ASMI board since 2004, and was reappointed to a seat representing large seafood processors.

Palmer, of Fall City, Wash., has been president and chief executive officer of Ocean Beauty Seafoods Inc. since 2005, and has been with the firm since 1984 in various sales and management positions. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Boise State University. He has served on the ASMI board since 2004 and is currently the chair. He was reappointed to a seat representing large seafood processors.