Chelsea Keutmann
- Chelsea is a fourth-generation fisherman and a third-generation female fisherman.
- She was on a commercial boat at just 3 days old, and the rest is history.
- Chelsea learned fishing skills from both parents and at age 18 leased a boat and a permit and started running her own drift gillnet operation.
- After meeting her husband, Pete, they bought a larger boat, some halibut IFQ's and made the huge effort to create a business together and launched Sea To Shore Seafood.
Fisherman Q&A
Q: Which products do you sell to Sea to Shore Seafood?
A: I harvest and sell halibut, rock fish and pacific cod.
Q: Can you share fun facts about your Vessel name?
A: The Eric was built in 1964 in the Puget Sound area, it was the first boat that was built from that hull’s mold. “Eric” was the Father of Frank Barr who had the boat built. It’s carried crews in False Pass AK, and Southeast AK. She was originally built as a False Pass gillnetter but was converted to a salmon troller in the 80’s. We converted her back to a gillnetter when we purchased the vessel back in 2014.
Q: What sustainable fishing practices/gear types do you use? What is your crew size for these fisheries?
A: We fish our groundfish using snap on, long line gear (hooks attached to a line that lay on the bottom of the ocean floor). Our crew is just Pete and myself.
Q: What do you love most about life on the water?
A: I love the freedom. I love being out of cell phone range. The fresh air, the whales, the birds, watching otters and sealions play. At times, the rest of your worries just drift away and disappear. You are disconnected from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, and really are able to connect with the beauty of nature.
Q: What is your favorite type of fish to catch or favorite method of fishing and why?
A: I love halibut fishing. I enjoy it because there is a set target weight for the season that you know you need to catch. The longline season is open for many months, so you can go when your schedule best allows it. Having such an open schedule produces less direct competition for the same fishing grounds, resulting in less stress. I am also fascinated with what lives way deep down in the ocean. I love seeing some of the crazy fish that come to the surface like mud sharks and rat fish, and watching them swim away, back down to the depths to tell their stories about the “crazy alien abduction” they just lived through. I’ve even seen a salmon shark circle our boat and witnessed a pod of orcas come right up and bite a chunk of halibut right off our hooks.
Q: What is your favorite fish or seafood to eat and why?
A: Halibut is my favorite. It is really versatile, and as long as the fillets are cut right, they are always boneless. It is a great fish to make tacos with (who doesn’t love fish tacos?) and you can bake, fry or grill.
Q: What is your biggest takeaway from your time spent on the water?
A: Mother nature is always in charge. I have seen her become angry and watched beautiful blue skies turn into violent lightning storms, where the rain and wind shake your windows and you have to turn off all electronics in fear of a lightning strike. Then, once she has expressed herself, the storm clouds lift, the blue-sky peeks back out, and she returns to her calm nature. She is powerful, beautiful and dangerous.
