Trident Seafoods plant to remain closed for salmon season

Trident Seafoods, one of the two main seafood processors in Wrangell, has decided not to operate during the upcoming salmon season. Stefanie Moreland, vice president of government relations, seafood sustainability, and corporate social responsibility with the Trident Seafoods Corporation, explained that this decision was made earlier this year. Predictions of a low abundance of salmon in Southeast Alaskan waters led them to the decision to not operate the Wrangell plant this season. However, Moreland added, they will continue operations out of their Ketchikan and Petersburg plants.

"Since Trident acquired the Wrangell facility, we've ran it in good times and bad, but predictions for the coming season of low abundance for both pink and chum salmon in Southeast Alaska led us to the extremely difficult decision to not operate the plant," she wrote in an email to the Sentinel. "It's our hope that salmon returns throughout Southeast Alaska improve, and that we'll be in a position to resume operations next season."

Moreland said that they will continue to provide fleet services in the Ketchikan and Petersburg plants, where they have offered positions to Trident employees who normally work in Wrangell. A limited number of employees will be kept at the Wrangell plant, as well.

Staff at Sea Level Seafoods, the other primary processor in Wrangell, have confirmed that they are remaining open for the salmon season.

A Nov. 20, 2019 announcement from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game estimated a 2020 pink salmon harvest of 12 million fish. This is a "weak" harvest, the announcement explains, while an average harvest would be between 19 to 34 million fish. A low juvenile abundance index in 2019, and abnormally warm temperatures for the year, were attributed as reasons behind the weak prediction.

"The 2020 harvest forecast of 12 million pink salmon is approximately one third of the recent 10-year average harvest of 35 million pink salmon," the announcement reads. "A harvest near this forecast would also be approximately 60 percent of the average even-year harvest since 2006. The 2019 peak June–July juvenile pink salmon index value (1.20) ranked 21st out of the 23 years that SECM information has been collected."

The closure of the plant means several things for Wrangell. Joyce Mason, finance director for the borough, said that the borough can reasonably expect less income via state fish taxes. Wrangell received $284,469 in fish tax money this year, she said. The state does not release individual fish taxes paid by companies, she said, and Wrangell receives the money after the actual processing. As Wrangell has two main processing plants, Mason it would be natural to assume a 50 percent drop in the proceeds. She added that Wrangell could also lose revenue in utility fees.

However, there is one aspect of this closure that could be a potential benefit to Wrangell. As residents are likely aware, the water supply has been a topic of serious discussion among local officials lately. Wrangell has gone on water watches over the summer and struggled to meet the demand put on their water supply. Among the larger demands put on Wrangell's water system are the seafood processors, which require large amounts of water to do their work. Public Works Director Rolland Howell said that Trident Seafoods used over 4.6 million gallons of water from April to September. Sea Level Seafoods used over 6.9 million gallons from May to November, he also added. While the closure of Trident over the season could mean less income for Wrangell, it also could mean one less demand on its water supply in the near future.