Marketing News
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Flying Fish
First Copper River salmon of the season fly south on Alaska Airlines
Alaska’s salmon fishing season officially began this week when fishermen in the Gulf of Alaska caught the first of the famous Copper River Kings.
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Less than two hours later the prized fish were headed south on Alaska Airlines
as a part of a contest among local grocery chains for the honor
of selling the first salmon of the season. The race began within
minutes of the opening when a helicopter chartered by Larry’s Market
in Seattle took off from Cordova for Anchorage. Onboard was 160
pounds of Copper River fish.
In Anchorage,
the salmon was transferred to Alaska Airlines Flight 98 for the
three-hour flight to Seattle.
The aircraft was met on the tarmac at Sea-Tac by a Larry’s truck which whisked the fish downtown, ushered by a motorcycle escort.
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A truck from Larry’s Markets met Alaska Airlines Flight 98 on the tarmac when it arrived in Seattle carrying the first Copper River salmon of the season.
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A motorcycle escort ushered the first Copper River salmon from Sea-Tac to Larry's Market in downtown Seattle.
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Albert Buholzer, director of seafood for Larry’s Markets, flew north to Alaska earlier in the week to finalize the last minute details in order to bring back the first Copper River salmon of the season.
When the first salmon reached his store at the foot of Queen Anne Hill, chefs from Sazerac Restaurant and the Coho Café were waiting to grill the fish and hand out samples to eager customers.
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That night, an additional 3,100 pounds of Copper River Kings flew south on Alaska Airlines for delivery to five Larry’s Markets in the Seattle area. “We could not have done it without Alaska Airlines,” said Buholzer after being told he had won this year’s race.
Second place went to the Admiral Thriftway store in West Seattle, which received its first salmon two hours after Larry’s Market.
Prized for their rich flavor, Copper River salmon fetch premium prices at stores and restaurants
in the Lower 48.
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Chef Jan “Big Dawg” Birnbaum from Sazerac restaurant in Seattle grilled
the first Copper River salmon of the season for customers at Larry's Market.
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Copper River fishermen anticipate two openings per week until the run ends in late July, as long as enough salmon make it upriver to achieve spawning goals. More than one million pounds of the fish will be flown south on scheduled and chartered Alaska Airlines jets.
“This is really good business for us,” says Keola Pang-Ching, director/cargo. “Especially the charters, which have a high profit margin.”
Buholzer is already looking ahead to next year's race. “I’m making my plans now,” he says.
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