Welcome to Ugashik Bay
- Eric & Crystal Beeman
- Partner since 2021
- Ugashik Bay, Alaska
On a remote beach north of the mouth of the Ugashik River, the sockeye salmon fishermen work as a close-knit unit. They help each other launch boats and with maintenance tasks. The strong community here understands the importance of teamwork. When the hectic fishing season in July and August comes to an end, it’s friends and family who make the quiet winter months so enjoyable.
The fishermen attach 300-foot gillnets on one end to the shore and on the other end to an anchor in the river. They operate small aluminum skiffs equipped with insulated containers to keep the fresh catch cool.
Eric’s parents were gillnet fishermen. At the age of eight, Eric discovered how much fun fishing could be, and before he knew it, he had become one of them. Crystal was 19 when she traveled to Alaska for the first time. She began her fishing career on the southern side of Kodiak Island. Now, they are married and firmly believe in managing resources carefully so that wild salmon populations can be sustained.
