2023

In 2023, ALFA and ASFT conducted a pilot project in Dillingham, Alaska in partnership with Northline Seafoods, Bristol Bay Native Association, Grant Air, and Alaska Pride Air. Local residents donated over 5,000 pounds of subsistence sockeye salmon and with the help of local volunteers and coordinators, the fish was frozen whole before being flown to villages in Chignik and on the Yukon River.

Photo courtesy of Jenny Bennis.

2022

Through the Fish for Families campaign, ALFA worked with a network of seafood industry partners and aviation businesses to collect and deliver almost 19,000 lbs of sockeye salmon to 10 rural communities across the state, including the Chignik and the Yukon regions. 

Holy Cross fish drop. (Photo courtesy of Acacia Johnson)

2021

Led by Alaska Native youth leader Sam Schimmel, Operation Fish Drop delivered 12,000 pounds of Bristol Bay sockeye salmon to 400 Alaska Native families in urban communities where they could not readily access wild salmon. The program drew overwhelming response and support from partner organizations, including Cook Inlet Tribal Council and the Alaska Native Heritage Center (where the distribution was hosted).

Sam Schimmel delivering salmon packages. (Photo courtesy of Meghan Sullivan)

2020

In partnership with The Wave Foundation, ALFA and ASFT were able to distribute 50,000 pounds of Alaska seafood to military families in Alaska through the Armed Services YMCA of Alaska. 

With the help of local seafood processors, fishermen, Sealaska and tribes, ALFA and ASFT distributed 50,000 pounds of salmon to communities around Southeast Alaska, many of whom were experiencing local salmon shortages due to recent declines.  

In the summer of 2020, ALFA and ASFT worked with Northline Seafoods and regional partners to deliver 42,000 pounds of whole sockeye salmon to four Chignik Bay area communities. Chignik’s tribal food pantry also provided seafood to community residents who had moved to Anchorage in search of work when local fisheries closed due to salmon declines. Chignik Bay communities wanted whole sockeye so families could process salmon as per cultural traditions—working as families and as a community to smoke, dry, and preserve as much of the fish as possible.

In March 2020, ALFA and ASFT made their first donated seafood deliveries to local families, women’s shelters, the Pioneer Home, and Salvation Army in Sitka. Soon after their initial deliveries, they started to get requests for more donations around Sitka and Southeast Alaska.

Lauren Howard delivering fish donations. (Photo courtesy Lione Clare)

Partners

Alaska Pride Air

Alaska Native Heritage Center

AML/Lynden

Armed Services YMCA of Alaska

Bristol Bay Native Association

Central Council of the Tlingit and

Haida Indian Tribes

Chignik Intertribal Coalition

Food Bank of Alaska

Grant Aviation

Northline Seafoods

SalmonState

Seafood Producers Cooperative

Sitka Mutual Aid

Sitka Sound Seafoods

Smokehouse Collective

The Wave Foundation

Dozens of Alaska and Pacific Northwest communities and tribes

Funders

Alaska Community Foundation

Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association

Bristol Bay Native Corporation

Catch Together

First Bank

Multiplier

Sealaska

Sitka Legacy Foundation

Dozens of individuals

Angela Bowers – University of Alaska Southeast​

Ann Colonna – Oregon State University Food Innovation Center​

Ben Blakey – Northline Seafoods​

Deenaalee Hodgdon – Smokehouse Collective​

Gabe Dunham – Alaska Sea Grant​

George Anderson – Chignik Intertribal Coalition​

Jennifer Nu – Sustainable Southeast Partnership​

Kevin Scribner – Forever Wild Seafood; The Wave Foundation​

Licha Kelly-King – Rendezvous Senior Center​

Michael Kohan – Sitka Salmon Shares​

Milena Sevigny - Kids Kupboard; Food Bank of Alaska; Alaska Food Policy Council

Sam Schimmel – Arctic Youth Network​

Stephen Rhoads – Seafood Producers Cooperative​

Sunny Rice – Alaska Sea Grant​

Tikaan Galbreath – Intertribal Agriculture Council; Alaska Food Policy Council