Silver Bay Seafoods will be acquiring an interest in OBI Seafoods, and managing all OBI facilities and operations including plants in Southeast, southcentral and western Alaska, and Washington State, it was announced today..

“This new partnership between Silver Bay Seafoods and (Bristol Bay Economic Development Corporation) will increase stability for Alaskan fishermen and communities reliant on seafoods processing operations,” a news release from the Sitka based SBS and BBEDC said. “It creates a much-needed platform for efficient operations to benefit all stakeholders in the Alaska salmon industry.”

The new partnership between the Sitka-based Silver Bay Seafoods and the nonprofit BBEDC is intended to strengthen the industry, and means SBS will be acquiring the interest in OBI formerly owned by Icicle Seafoods, and managing OBI facilities.

These include plants in Petersburg, Seward, Larsen Bay, Egigik, Wood River, Cordova, Kodiak and Naknek as well as the Kent Warehouse and Labeling facility south of Seattle. The plants produce salmon, whitefish and crab in fresh, frozen and canned forms.

BBEDC is one of six community development quota organizations in Alaska that support economic development in 65 Western Alaska villages. In 2007 it acquired a 50% interest in Ocean Beauty Seafoods which then merged with Icicle Seafoods in 2020 to form OBI Seafoods.

“With the many challenges facing Alaska’s seafood industry, BBEDC recognizes the importance of strategic partnerships to support Alaska’s regional fishing economies,” said Michael Link, BBEDC chief executive officer.

Cora Campbell, president and CEO of Silver Bay, said in the announcement she’s excited to expand coastal partnerships to help create more stability in the seafood industry. “This investment in OBI will allow us to serve more fishermen and communities,” she said.

Silver Bay Seafoods is owned by 600 fishermen, and processes frozen salmon, herring, whitefish and squid products for U.S. markets and export. It's one of the largest seafood companies in Alaska, with 13 processing facilities in the state.