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.