F/V Apollo

Sitka, Alaska

Wild Alaska King Salmon, Wild Alaska Coho Salmon, Wild Alaska Rockfish, Wild Alaska Halibut, Wild Alaska Keta Salmon

Jeff is a fisherman with a proclivity for fisheries issues and a passion for, in his own words, “providing some of the healthiest and tastiest food this planet has to offer to folks that appreciate it.”

For Jeff, fishing is more than his occupation. It’s his way of life. So, naturally, he feels compelled to be involved with the decisions that determine how fishermen can make their livelihood. Jeff has served 8 years as an Alaskan small boat representative on the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council Advisory Panel. He’s currently serving as the vice president of the Alaska Longline Fishermen's Association board of directors, the Sitka Fish and Game advisory committee, and has actively participated in the International Pacific Halibut Commissions annual meetings. While that might sound foreign to land-locked seafood lovers, Jeff says it all boils down to a few core values--which just so happen to align beautifully with our own at Sitka Seafood Market. “Essentially, what this amounts to is unwavering protection for our fisheries, the habitat they depend on and the fisheries dependent communities that thrive on them.”

When he’s not busy influencing fisheries’ policy decisions, chances are Jeff is harvesting wild food, if not for our members, then for himself or others. “Although my primary fisheries are trolling for salmon and longlining halibut here in Southeast Alaska, my fishing career has taken me from salmon seining and gillnetting in Washington state, where I was born and raised, to the northwestern reaches of the Bering Sea fishing for cod and sablefish on a freezer longliner,” Jeff wrote.

“I also actively participate in subsistence, sport and personal use fisheries for salmon, halibut, rockfish, crab, shrimp, scallops, abalone, octopus, urchins, seaweed and just about anything else that is edible and delicious. Freediving in the winter, hunting in the fall or winter, and coming up with new dishes that incorporate foods I’ve harvested fill in the times when I’m not doing those activities.” We’ll let you know when we get our hands on one of these recipes!

Jeff lives in Sitka year-round and has been a commercial fisherman since 1989. He’s been a Sitka Seafood Market fisherman since 2019, and fishes for us aboard his current vessel, the F/V Apollo, with an adorable deck-mate dog named Artemis.

Quick Takes

What do you love about fishing?

There’s a romanticism to life at sea. But I also love the independence, that I am providing some of the world’s healthiest food to people, and all the aspects that go into the nature of fishing. I love the adventure; it’s humbling, just when you think you’ve got it figured out, the weather or climate change give you a new challenge. I also like that fishermen are all independent small businesses and that there is a lot of collaboration amongst fishermen. There’s an unwritten code: If someone needs help, you drop anything and go.

What’s your favorite thing to cook on the boat?

That’s a dicey question! The honest answer is fish and venison (what I hunt in the winter). And when I get the chance, to come in and grab some veggies from my friend’s garden.

What do you do in the off-season, when you’re not fishing?

I do a tremendous amount of boat maintenance and engage more in fisheries policy and community issues. I also enjoy cooking, free diving, and hunting.

What’s your favorite seafood dish?

My favorite dish is king salmon, barbecued with just a little salt and pepper.

What’s one thing you’d want to say to our members?

I enjoy providing the world's healthiest food to those who appreciate it--those who recognize the value of traceability and quality.