Cargo Marketing

First Copper River salmon arrive in Seattle

Alaska Airlines' Boeing 737-400 freighter arrived at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport just after sunrise the morning of May 15, 2007, packed to the gills with more than 28,000 pounds of Copper River king and red salmon.

Captain Bob Graves delivered the first Copper River king salmon of the season to Tim Ferlemen of Anthony's Restaurants. The fish-filled freighter was greeted by Alaska's "Salmon-Thirty-Salmon," a 737-400 passenger aircraft painted with a 120-foot-long image of an Alaska king salmon. The World Famous Pike Place Fish Market's fishmongers ceremonially tossed the first fish off the aircraft before it was presented to waiting fish processors, restaurants and retailers.

"We'll be serving Copper River salmon in our four Seattle-area restaurants tonight and in all 22 of our restaurants by tomorrow afternoon," said Tim Ferlemen, head buyer for Anthony's Restaurants.

Reporters and photographers from several Seattle-area news organizations were on hand at Alaska's cargo warehouse this morning to record the event.

Alaska expected to deliver up to 120,000 pounds of the coveted fish on the first day on eight dedicated flights from Cordova, Alaska, to Seattle. After arriving in Seattle, much of the fish will depart on flights to cities across the country - from Los Angeles to Boston.

Station employees in Cordova had worked all night loading more than 90,000 pounds of salmon caught by an estimated 5,000 commercial fishing boats that unfurled their nets opening day.

Bad weather in the Gulf of Alaska reduced the opening day catch "by about one aircraft load," said Matt Yerbic, managing director of cargo. "Still, there is huge demand for wild Alaska seafood like Copper River salmon. We've made significant investments in our cargo operation to support the Alaska seafood industry and can transport these fish from wild Alaska waters to dinner tables across the country in record time - often in less than 24 hours."

Today's first Copper River salmon flight carried fish from four seafood processors: Bear and Wolf Salmon Company, Copper River Seafoods, Ocean Beauty Seafoods and Trident Seafoods.

Depending on the season's catch, the airline could transport more than a million pounds of Copper River salmon this year.