Our Fish
Bristol Bay supports the largest wild sockeye salmon run on Earth.
Every year, tens of millions of salmon return to the region’s pristine rivers and lakes.
The fishery is carefully managed by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, which monitors salmon runs daily throughout the season. Managers open and close fishing periods based on how many fish are returning, ensuring enough salmon make it upriver to spawn and sustain future generations.
This approach has made Alaska’s salmon fisheries some of the most responsibly managed in the world. Fishermen here are not just harvesters — they are stewards of a renewable resource that depends on healthy ecosystems and healthy fish populations.
Bristol Bay’s salmon fishery is also uniquely small-scale. Instead of massive factory vessels, the fleet is made up of thousands of independent fishermen working small boats with small crews.
My boat, Restless, is an American Commercial hull with a flush deck and a full working setup built for Bristol Bay gillnetting. She’s not flashy, but she’s tough, dependable, and when the fish are moving she can stack the hold with the best of them.
On deck, the focus is simple: move fish quickly, handle them carefully, and get them chilled fast. Salmon are picked from the net, bled, and put directly into refrigerated salt water, so they arrive at the dock in the same bright condition as when they came out of the water.
Wild Fish From a Wild Place
Bristol Bay remains the last great stronghold for wild salmon on the planet. Its rivers are still free-flowing, its waters clean, and its fish populations strong.
For the fishermen who work here, these salmon are more than a product. They are the heartbeat of a place, the foundation of communities, and a reminder that wild systems can still thrive when they are respected and protected.
Every piece of Bristol Bay salmon carries that story with it.
Thank you for supporting wild fish and the fishermen who harvest them.
