April 10, 2024 — Troll fishermen in southern Southeast Alaska have a new buyer for their king salmon. The Metlakatla Indian Community announced on April 4th that they had reopened the Annette Island Packing Company.
The Metlakatla processor operated for nearly a century until they stopped buying fish in 2018. Now, the 100% native-owned and operated plant is opening its doors again, though slowly. Metlakatla Mayor Albert Smith says it’s a big win for the community. Local fishermen will now be able to sell their catch in town, instead of bringing it all the way to Ketchikan.
“It’s something that we’ve been wanting to do for the last few years and we’re very excited to get the doors back open. We’re starting off slow with troll king salmon and our local halibut fishery. So we’ll be sending out fresh product. But it’s a good start,” Smith said.