Sitka, Alaska, U.S.A.-based Silver Bay Seafoods was awarded a USD 11.2 million (EUR 9.8 million) contract by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for canned pink salmon.
However, the department opted not to purchase a substantial amount of the salmon it was planning to due to price considerations. According to USDA, the government declined to purchase 6,080 cases of canned pink salmon and 80,000 pounds of frozen salmon fillets.
Under the single contract that was awarded, which was announced 18 June, Silver Bay Seafoods will supply 24,320 cases of canned pink salmon for USD 2.3 million (EUR 2 million). The company will also supply 94,240 cases of canned pink salmon for USD 9 million (EUR 7.9 million).
The canned salmon will be used for federal nutrition programs, such as the National School Lunch Program. Deliveries are slated to take place in August and September.
Silver Bay Seafoods has acquired multiple Alaskan facilities and companies amid the consolidation of the state’s salmon industry, and the company now controls a majority of the state’s canning operations.
“We’re seeing Alaskan salmon primarily in the hands of two companies after the recent wave of consolidation,” industry consultant Tom Sunderland said at the 2026 Global Seafood Market Conference (GSMC) in Hollywood, Florida, U.S.A., in January. “The hope is that this is a good thing because this should hopefully provide stability.”
