Ivan Grutter, one of our co-op fishermen, was born and raised in Sitka into a family of co-op fishermen. He's also a surfer, a diver, and a local legend. In this video, he talks about growing up fishing, living on the ocean in Sitka, and how he lives our co-op's values: Small Boats, Indpendent Fishermen, and Co-op Values.
Ivan notes that being 100% fishermen-owned means quality is at the heart of everything our cooperative does. We have a single owner--our fishermen--which means that our quality comes from pride in ownership. All proceeds go back to support the fishing families that have caught this fish and not to far-off investors just trying to get richer. When you get fish from our fishermen-owned co-op, you're getting fish directly from a small boat fisherman like Ivan and it supports the coastal towns of Southeast Alaska that depend on healthy fisheries to survive and thrive.
*Note: When we made this video, Ivan was fishing on the F/V Stingray. And now he's on the F/V Alaska Assassin.