The Nome branch of the Alaska Department of Fish & Game is utilizing a brand-new, 30-foot boat to catch and tag salmon, pull crab pots, and conduct research.
The boat’s name, Peter-Joel, memorializes two fisheries technicians, Peter Nanouk, Jr., of Unalakleet and Joel Saccheus of Elim.
The two men were ambassadors for the Norton Sound region who passed on knowledge to new Fish & Game employees with a smile on their faces.
Nanouk’s brother-in-law, Wes Jones, told listeners “I know it means a lot to the family” to have his late relative’s name on the vessel. Charlie Saccheus of Elim, Joel’s uncle, told KNOM that his nephew was always smiling and kind of quiet. Everybody loved Joel, said Charlie — so naming a boat after him is fitting.
Image at top: The ADF&G boat Peter-Joel, docked in Nome. Photo: Davis Hovey, KNOM.
