2022 Local Seafood Summit

An Eyak Athabaskan Native of the Eagle Clan, Dune grew up in Cordova, in southcentral Alaska. Born into a fishing family, his life education as a subsistence and commercial fisherman began at age five. He later earned a living as a fishery and processing consultant and commercial fisherman after high school. The Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989 transformed Dune into a social change activist and Native Rights leader. He has founded and co-founded several key organizations, including the Eyak Preservation Council (EPC), the FIRE Fund (Fund for Indigenous Rights and the Environment); the RED OIL Network (Resisting Environmental Degradation of Indigenous Lands), and the Native Conservancy. His tireless work has helped win the preservation of more than 1 million acres in the Gulf of Alaska coastline impacted by the Exxon spill and has received worldwide recognition, including Time magazine’s Hero of the Planet, as well as fellowships and awards with the Ashoka Foundation, the Hunt Alternatives Fund (Prime Movers), Future of Fish, Seaweb Seafood Champion, Utne Magazine (chose Dune as one of the Top 50 Visionaries Changing the World), among others.

Ephraim D. Froehlich

Ephriam leverages more than a decade of experience as a policy expert and relationships developed at the highest levels of government to achieve legislative and regulatory results. He was born and raised in Juneau, Alaska. He holds a bachelor’s degree in government from Dartmouth College and a J.D. from the University of Maryland School of Law. Froehlich worked for United States Senator Lisa Murkowski in Washington, D.C., as lead policy advisor on fisheries, wildlife, maritime transportation, environmental change, and the Arctic. He next joined Alaska Governor Bill Walker’s administration as senior advisor on fish and game and as the deputy director of federal relations. In 2018, Froehlich served on the board of the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute. Froehlich founded AKWA-DC LLC in 2019, a policy consulting firm focused on fisheries, maritime, and the environment. 

Andy Olson 

Andy has a background in fish biology and ecology, and has worked in first nation communities as a fisheries manager for over 15 years. During this time, Andy has worked with fish harvesters to sell their catch in any way possible. The goal was always to maximize the benefits from any harvest to the harvester. From selling salmon for the Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation in Washington state to managing a CFE (commercial fishing enterprise) for a community on Vancouver island Andy’s capacity and interest in the commercial fishing business has grown.  

Currently Andy is the Executive Director of the Native Fishing Association (NFA)- Aboriginal Financial Institution and is focused on supporting Indigenous participation in the commercial fishing industry through business support and developmental lending. Andy sits on numerous boards and advisory bodies having to do with commercial fishing licenses, salmon fisheries, independent owner operator, and foreign/corporate ownership impacts to small communities. Andy’s education is based in collaboration from The Evergreen State College with a deep value for working together to achieve group success.  Andy is passionate about supporting indigenous entrepreneurs and making the most for harvesters from their catch.

Togue Brawn 

Togue Brawn has worked with or within Maine’s commercial fishing industry for over 30 years, from working on her father’s lobster boat to conducting research on commercial vessels, to selling commercial fishing equipment and exhibit space at commercial fishing and seafood trade shows. She is a passionate advocate for Maine’s scallop fishermen. Her interest in Maine’s scallop fishery began while working at the Maine Department of Marine Resources, where she spearheaded changes that led to a recovery of the state’s inshore scallop fishery.  In 2011 she left the state government to found Maine Dayboat Scallops (dba Downeast Dayboat). The mission of Downeast Dayboat is to get fishermen a better price and consumers a better product, which is accomplished by shipping Maine dayboat scallops across the country within 24 hours of harvest. She also continues to advocate for Maine dayboat fishermen at the state and federal level.

Togue has a MSc in Marine Policy from the University of Maine. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the Maine Fishermen’s Forum, the Chair of Maine’s Marine Resources Advisory Council and a member of the New England Fishery Management Council, where she sits on the Habitat, Groundfish and Scallop Committees.

Jason Jarvis

Jason Jarvis, is a commercial fisherman from Westerly, Rhode Island with 30 years of experience fishing on boats- gillnetting, hooking, trawling, and clamming. He is also a founding member of Fresh Harvest Kitchen, a fishing and farming cooperative in RI. Jason has been an active community member, raising awareness about the commercial fishing regulatory system and the equity imbalances within the industry. Jason serves as board president of NAMA (the North American Marine Alliance) and a fishing representative on the Rhode Island Marine Fisheries Council (RIMFC).

7-10 PM | October 2 | Alyeska Resort – Kahiltna Court

The Local Catch Network hosted a Seafood Soirée that brought together summit attendees and special guests for a celebration of North America’s local fisheries and the community of seafood harvesters, businesses, and partners working together to build a more sustainable, equitable, and just seafood system.

Guests listened to live music from the California-based, fishing-inspired band, The Fishwives, and visited tasting stations featuring some of Alaska’s top chefs, including Lexa Joy Gokey of the Bridge Seafood, Kirsten Dixon of Within the Wild lodges, and Natalie Janicka of Twisted Spruce Kitchen.

Our esteemed guest chefs prepared and served appetizers spotlighting seafood provided by Honeywilya Fish (AK/VT), Alaskans Own (AK), Catch 49 (AK), and the New England Young Fishermen’s Alliance (New England). Chef Wes and the Alyeska culinary team will created side dishes that paired well with seafood for attendees to enjoy.

We recognize that COVID-19 is still prominent and that our community members have varying levels of comfort during large gatherings. Therefore, maintaining a culture of care that elevates the safety and health of the community throughout the summit is our main priority. Please review and act in accordance with the following summit COVID protocols: 

Pre-Summit: 

• A negative PCR test or two consecutive days of negative rapid tests is/are required. 
  • Identify low-cost or free PCR tests near you by using this link
  • Order up to 8 free rapid tests per month from CVS if you have US health insurance by using this link
  • Canadian businesses/orgs can order free rapid tests by using this link
• Keep the health of your community top of mind by wearing masks during travel and taking extra precautions leading up to the summit

During the Summit: 

• Local Seafood Summit attendees, exhibitors, staff and volunteers will be required to wear masks during indoor activities. Some summit attendees may be coming from areas in the U.S. or internationally where masking would be required, even if not required in Alaska this October. Consequently, providing attendees of the summit with the safest experience possible includes setting requirements for all attendees that exceed those currently recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We encourage summit attendees to bring their own masks but will provide masks on-site, if needed. Certified N95, KN95, and KF94 masks can be purchased from this website.

• The Local Catch Network will provide stickers to place on their name tags to indicate their level of comfort.
  • Red sticker – I am comfortable with waving hello but please keep distance
  • Yellow sticker – I am comfortable with fist bumps but am being cautious
  • Green sticker – I am comfortable with handshakes, hugs, or close contact 
• Should you feel unwell and/or test positive at the summit, please contact Jon Russell (jon@namanet.org) immediately. We will provide meals and options to virtually attend limited sessions throughout the day. We are unable to refund registration at this time. 

Proof of vaccination is not required, although we encourage vaccination if possible. Please be respectful of your peers’ boundaries. The Local Catch Network core values are built around Community and Collaboration, and respect is core to both. Thank you for honoring the summit COVID protocols and for your commitment to the health of the community. 

The USDA AMS team participated in the summit to learn more about the local seafood sector and to make connections with seafood harvesters. They hosted 1-on-1 curbside consulting sessions with summit attendees.

The swag swap and silent auction was a success! Summit attendees brought promotional items to swap or donate to the silent auction. 

Guidelines

• Bring promotional swag or auction items to the Summit
• There will be two sections including swaps and silent auction: 
  • • In the swaps section, leave something that you would like to share with others.
    • Feeling charitable? Donate something to the Local Catch Silent Auction. 
• Drop off your swag or auction items at the designated table during registration
• Be mindful of space and bring what you and others can easily transport.

What should you bring?

• Items with your business logo including t-shirts, hats, mugs, etc. 
• Paper items like newsletters, annual reports, research papers, etc.
• Shelf-stable, packaged seafood products, like canned salmon, dried seaweed
• Artwork, poetry, books, creative expressions
• A CSF subscription or gift cards
• Other items are also welcome! 

Registration for the field trip is full.

The Local Catch Network is hosted a 3-day, 2-night educational multi-day tour along the Kenai Peninsula in Southcentral Alaska following the Summit. Participants had a chance to visit local seafood processing operations and fishing sites as well as spend time with local fishermen, food entrepreneurs, fishery experts, and community leaders. The group will departed from Alyeska Resort on the morning of Tuesday, October 4th and spent two nights in the small fishing town of Homer, located in Kachemak Bay, before returning to Anchorage on the afternoon of Thursday, October 6th.

LCN aims to lessen barriers for participation for our programming, including the seafood summit, but we acknowledge barriers may be greater for groups most impacted by inequities. Priority for financial support was given to seafood harvesters and impacted community members. 

LCN held an informal pre-conference networking event at the Girdwood Brewing Company (GBD) on the evening of October 1 from 6-8PM.

Girdwood Brewing Company is rooted in the community and donates to a number of nonprofits and outdoor adventure organizations. The brewery also provides year-round employment to over a dozen locals.

Venue Address: 2700 Alyeska Hwy, Girdwood, AK 99587

Travel

The Local Seafood Summit was held at the Alyeska Resort in Girdwood, AK on Oct 2-3, 2022. Alyeska is nestled along the Chugach Mountains located 40 miles south of Anchorage along the scenic Seward Highway in the town of Girdwood, Alaska. Venue address: 1000 Arlberg Ave, Girdwood, AK 99587

There are multiple ways to get to Alyeska Resort from Anchorage including; 

• Local Catch offered limited shuttle service to and from the Summit. Shuttle registration is required. We will not be offering transportation outside the times and dates outlined below. Dates and times for shuttle transportation were:
  • Saturday, October 1 
    Times of Departure from Ted Stevens Airport to Alyeska Resort are 12pm | 3pm | 6pm. Shuttle pick-up is directly outside of the Alaska Airlines luggage claim. Exit out of door #1, and take an immediate left where you will find a Premier Alaska Tours coach. 

• • Tuesday, October 4
    Times of Departure from Alyeska Resort to Ted Stevens Airport are 6am | 9am | 12pm. Shuttle pick-up is outside of the main lobby entrance of the hotel.  
• Car rentals 
• Rideshares (Uber/Lyft). Estimated cost is $100+ one-way. 
• Alyeska Resort can arrange a taxi and/or car service. Contact the concierge to make arrangements 24 hours in advance at guestservices@alyeskaresort.com. Rates start at $125 one-way. 

Once you are in Girdwood there are numerous ways to get around town including walking, rental bikes or cars, and the Glacier Valley Transit, which is free to resort guests.

Interested in off setting your travel? Alaska Airlines has partnered with Carbonfund.org to help individuals calculate and off set their air travel. Clear, a Certified B Corps organization, also offers options to off set carbon associated with travel. 

Lodging

Alyeska Resort | Ski Inn | Alyeska Hostel 

Other lodging options include local vacation rentals, VRBO, and AirBnB.