A surprise announcement from seafood processing giant Trident Seafoods on its new plans to divest some of its Alaska processing plants and lay off 10% of its Seattle workforce hit Kodiak as a total surprise, says Kodiak Mayor Pat Branson.
They do intend to process pollock from the A season, which begins in January, but after that, who knows, Branson said in an interview on Tuesday.
“Normally this is a slower time of the year for Trident’s cannery and many residents who work there are on vacation,” she said. “We will be listening and watching to see what happens.”
Trident’s decision stands to have a profound impact on the budget of the city of Kodiak if no buyers come forward for processing facilities that Trident hopes to sell. Sales taxes that the city has collected from Trident for years comprises the major portion of the city’s general fund, Branson said. That tax is what finances all city operations.
“It’s a perfect storm, with a glut in the (seafood) market and this on top of it. It’s not good,” she said. “We’ve been through booms and busts, but this is the worst.”
The company’s divestment plans, announced on Dec. 12, included plans to sell facilities in Kodiak, False Pass, Ketchikan, and Petersburg, plus the historic Diamond NN Cannery in Naknek and support facilities at Chignik. The company is also assessing its overall company-owned vessel strategy, according to the announcement.
Trident officials had not responded by deadline to a request for how the company’s restructuring plans may impact Cordova.
