Processing the 20 to 40 million sockeye harvested in about a month each summer is no small feat. And while the Bristol Bay salmon fishery has come a long way from the hey-days of canneries, there are more improvements to come.
Bergur Goumundsson has already seen his share of changes in fisheries. He grew up in a town of about 400 people north of the Arctic Circle. His father was a longline fisherman; his brother followed suit. Eventually, Goumundsson found his way into processing technology, and now works for the fisheries division at Morel, an international company that works in food processing.
“My job is basically to analyze processes and come up with ideas that could increase the yield. To make more usable products out of the raw materials that you have," he said. "The second thing we take a look at is can we do it more efficiently in terms of labor. Labor is getting more expensive, and most of the jobs in the fishing industry are repetitive, physically difficult jobs. Making these jobs easier and also more productive is something that I think is important not only for the companies but for the industry and the areas as well.”
