Late this summer, the MSC hosted a trip to Kodiak, Alaska, where we connected MSC partners directly with the certified fisheries and suppliers they source from.
The US team hosted our first buyers’ trip in August 2026 to Kodiak, Alaska, with the purpose of connecting MSC partners directly with the businesses and fisheries they source from – or may be able to source from in the future.
Inviting people to Alaska is not as easy as just booking a flight and a hotel. Even Alaska’s major cities aren’t easy for everyone to get to; there are tons of small villages and coastal towns with major fishing activity, a large variety of seafood landing ports, and not an easy or fast way to get between them.
To make the most of a short trip, we settled on Kodiak Island, which is the second largest seafood port in the state and has a high diversity of species that come through the port.
Since we didn’t have time to see everything, we created an ‘Alaskan sampler’ to help partners learn a little bit about each MSC certified fishery in the area and get a big picture of the management and research that goes on in the state to ensure that Alaskan fisheries are sustainable and maintain their MSC certification.
The trip was packed with education, adventure, and community-building. Here are a few of our favorite moments
- We were able to see first-hand research on Alaskan species and the impacts of climate change to inform management.
- We saw how the hatchery programs for Alaska salmon and trout support enhancement of the state’s commercial and recreational fisheries.
- We learned about local sustainable fisheries management and how the industry maximizes harvest while maintaining healthy populations.
- We enjoyed a harbor tour filled with harrowing stories of Alaska’s commercial fishing history.
- We got out on the water again to see salmon seiners laying out their nets for the pink salmon run.
We are excited to expand this offer moving forward – there are so many regions and fisheries we want to share with our partners. Please reach out if you are interested in participating in a trip like this in the future!
This trip would not have been possible without the incredible support of the Alaska fishing industry. A huge thank you to the fishers at Coastal Villages (a community development quota owner representing Native Alaskan communities in Western Alaska), Pacific Seafoods, Canadian Fishing Company (Canfisco), and Copper River Seafoods, and the managers and researchers at the Kodiak Fisheries Research Laboratory and the Kodiak Regional Aquaculture Association. Special thanks also to our buyers, Thrive Market, Fresh Thyme, and Sam’s Club, for their enthusiastic participation!
