As Salmon Sisters has evolved, we've become aware of the importance of locally-sourced and locally-accessible seafood. Even though so many Alaskans spend their summers on and near the ocean, good fish can sometimes be tough to find without a good local source. This is why we've begun Salmon Sisters Seafoods, selling wild and sustainably-caught seafood on our website that will be sent to your home upon purchase. We're excited to share a little more about the first product we've made: Summer Catch Smoked Sockeye Salmon!
These big, bright Sockeyes came straight out of the pristine waters of Cook Inlet, hand-picked by Katie Pitzman, a fisherwoman aboard her family's gill-net boat, the F/V Stephanie Ann. Katie Pitzman is a lifelong Alaskan who grew up in Homer, Alaska. Her father is a career fisherman who shares his love of the sea and its bountiful resources with Katie and her six younger siblings. Growing up, Katie spent many summer days riding along and helping out on commercial boats her father operated. The love she found for the outdoors and the ocean led her to become a full-share deckhand during high school. For the Pitzman family, fishing is more than a job, it’s a passion and a pastime that brings them together and puts food on the table.
Katie is proud to be a fisherwoman. She is pursuing an Environmental Studies degree at the University of Oregon, migrating back to Alaska every summer to enjoy her favorite season in her favorite place. Fortunate to have a job she loves; Katie has seen both boom and bust seasons, and just keeps setting the net. She appreciates her dad’s reminder on the slow days, “We don’t fish for what we do get; we fish for what we might get.” Katie recognizes salmon are a precious natural resource that she is privileged to harvest. Fishing sustainably ensures that she may someday share this resource and way of life with her own children, as her father has done with her. This is how Katie and her fellow fishermen protect wild salmon. Consumers can help preserve the bounty and support Alaska’s fishermen by purchasing only fish they know have been harvested responsibly. Katie and her family are excited to have Salmon Sisters making their summer's catch available to people in Alaska and beyond.
We're proud to offer a product that is traceable, sustainably-harvested, and locally produced. The sockeyes Katie caught in Cook Inlet were smoked in Homer, Alaska by our friends at Homer Fish Processing. The labels for our Summer Catch Smoked Sockeye were designed by Salmon Sisters and printed locally in Homer as well. We've tested the first batch, and we give this smoked salmon a gold star for quality and taste. The portion size is perfect for an on-the-go snack for camping or hiking adventures, or great to bring to a friend's house for a pre-dinner appetizer. This quality product is vacuum sealed beautifully and will last in your freezer during winter months. We hope you enjoy, and look forward to more wild Alaska seafood from Salmon Sisters Seafoods coming soon.
“We have hand-picked the best and brightest sockeye from Cook Inlet to share with you. Enjoy!” From my net to your table, with love, Katie Pitzman