Wards Cove terminates Alaska salmon operations.

• Author: Pilkington, Steve
• Position: Fishing - Brief Article

Wards Cove Packing Co. Chairman Alec W. Brindle announced recently that, after processing wild Alaska salmon for 75 years, the company has terminated its Alaska salmon operations.

"This is a very sad day for the Brindle family, our employees, our fishermen, and our friends throughout Alaska and Washington, and it is a day that I wish would never have had to happen," Brindle said. "Unfortunately, due to competition from farm salmon and weak overseas and domestic markets, we have suffered sustained, significant and accelerating losses in our salmon operations in recent years and as a result the company is unable to secure bank financing for next year's salmon operations."

Wards Cove was founded in 1928 in Ketchikan by two members of a pioneer Alaska family, brothers A.W. "Winn" Brindle and Harold Brindle. Starting as a single canning line in a single...