F/V Marona

Kodiak, Alaska

Wild Alaska Rockfish, Wild Alaska Pacific Cod

For Darius, like many of our fishermen, becoming a fisherman was as much about heritage and tradition as it was about opportunity.

Darius grew up on a remote part of Kodiak Island, a fair distance from the port of Kodiak—a small town dominated by the fishing industry. Darius felt at an early age that "pretty much the only way to make money” was to fish. When he was 14 years old he started working with his dad at gillnet sites for a half share (half pay). In Alaska, novice fishermen are called “greenhorns” — but Darius was not a greenhorn for long. By 15, he was bumped up to a full share crewman. By 16, he was working in halibut longline derbies, an old-school “winner take all” type of fishery managed by a 24 or 48-hour time limit, regardless of stormy weather. It was a grueling, hard-nose fishing style.

For the rest of his teenage years, when he wasn’t studying, Darius could be found on seiners or longline boats, working salmon fisheries in the summer, and any other fishery he could the rest of the year. Darius was an avid reader growing up and decided to go to college to pursue a degree in English. But after several years of college, his ambition shifted to returning to Kodiak to participate in the burgeoning Pacific cod fisheries, crewing on a long list of pot, trawl, and longline vessels.

In 1996, the Gulf of Alaska’s jig fishery opened, and Darius wanted in. The following year, he bought his first vessel, the 28' F/V High Tide. In 2004, he upgraded to the 39' F/V Malka. He’d also run other jig boats when he had time. In 2010, he purchased the vessel he fishes on to this day, the 46' F/V Marona, pictured above.

Quick Takes

What do you love about fishing?

"I love the independence and that you can harvest sustainably with artisanal fishing methods like hand-tended hook and line—feeding people high quality protein without damage to the environment with the right fishing methods like jigging. Breathing fresh air and exercise. Being my own boss."

What’s your typical breakfast/lunch/dinner on the boat?

"I eat a lot of eggs over easy on rice and beans. Also fish sandwiches."

What’s your favorite seafood dish?

"Hard to decide. I'd say winter king salmon baked with olive oil. I keep it pretty easy."

What’s one thing you want Sitka Seafood Market members to know?

"I appreciate members’ interest in preferring to buy fish that are artisanally harvested with a minimal ecological footprint. I’m pretty conservation-minded and jigging is a very sustainable way of fishing. There’s minimal impact on the seafloor, plus it allows you to target your fish well.”