Coffee Point is one of the most remote places on Earth. To get there, you have to conquer your fear of small planes — it takes no less than four flights. When you finally arrive, you’ll find yourself on a beach that stretches more than 15 kilometers. This is where Tony’s family business has been every summer since 1987. Together with family members and seasonal crew, they set out their nets and drive up and down the long beach on their ATVs. This year, our own Luuk joined the crew — one of the fishermen carefully pulling wild salmon, one by one, from the nets in small boats.
It’s tough work — they fish as often as the tides allow. When the nets are hauled in and the tide rests, the fishermen return to their fish camps: small cabins perched above the beach, each belonging to a different fishing family. That’s where everyone gathers — families, fishermen, and curious kids learning how their (great-)grandparents have fished for generations. It’s where salmon is eaten, stories are shared, and traditions stay alive. For Tony, it’s the best time of the year.
"Being together with the whole family means a lot to me. It’s not just a weekend trip — you’re really together for weeks. Normally we all live far apart, but here we work, live, and do everything side by side."
Tony and his wife Gwen started fishing for wild salmon almost 40 years ago. They learned the craft from their neighbors — the other fishing families who had been there for years. “We weren’t very good at first; we really had to learn how to fish,” Tony says with a smile. Together with their children — they called it “kid power” — the business began to grow. After years of experience and investment, like buying ATVs, Tony has become the main supplier from Coffee Point for our Fish Tales wild salmon.
Strict state regulations in Alaska ensure that fishermen know exactly when they’re allowed to head out. Every day at noon, they receive updates from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, the agency that monitors when the fishery can open. The salmon population is tracked with great care — a perfect example of how sustainability and tradition go hand in hand.
Curious to see how Luuk is doing out there with Tony in the wild? Read it here!