von Wichman Family Fisheries spans three generations of fishermen and fisherwomen starting in the 1970's with the purchase of the FV Alexandra by Dr. George von Wichman. We fish the same vessel today, albeit with many overhauls and upgrades.
Our captains firmly believe in managing resources sustainably. Not only for the continued productivity and health of the marine ecosystem but also to ensure that Captain Brad's children can continue the family tradition.
As a part of this commitment we elect to not use a 'crucifier' on board our vessel. While this device is both legal and easier on the crew, it forcefully removes the hook from a non-target fishes mouth causing permanent damage. Instead we elect to harvest all our our fish in a respectful manner and return any non-target species gently to the ocean by hand to minimize trauma. Additionally, we work closely with scientists at the state and federal level to assist in the collection of data on some Alaska's most threatened and rare species. You can see more about the projects we assist with on our Assisting Science page.