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On St. Lawrence Island, the remote community of Savoonga hugs the vast Bering Sea. But aging infrastructure has meant that residents there have struggled to fully benefit from the catch on their doorstep. Now, a new fish processing facility in the works could change that.
A stone’s throw away from Savoonga’s shore, workers could be seen zipping in and out of a construction zone on four-wheelers while wearing high-visibility safety vests. All the action was centered around a new fish processing plant, which is set to be completed next month.
Crews hustled around a white facility perched on steel rods above a gravel base. Its parts come from Kometos, a Finnish company that specializes in building modular food processing facilities.
The new plant is set to replace the current plant, which is more than 25-years old and has a lot of wear and tear from the harsh Arctic climate. For President of the Savoonga Tribal Council, Bengamin Pungowiyi, the new plant promises far more, both in opportunity and efficiency.
“It's a little bit bigger, you know, there's a little more room, and the location where they land right in that vicinity where the boat landing is, that's where the folks bring in their catch,” Pungowiyi said.
Norton Sound Economic Development Corporation (NSEDC) is part of western Alaska’s community development quota program. It’s also the parent company of Norton Sound Seafood Products, which runs the fisheries businesses in Savoonga.
The group owns the new plant and also operates the current fish plant with a team of locals. In an email, NSEDC's Chief Operating Officer, Tyler Rhodes, said the old facility had lived out its useful life.
The new plant, which will process halibut, is right next door to a new reindeer processing plant. Both facilities are a few feet away from the sandy beach on the east side of town, where fishing boats lined up the shore.
Fredrick Kingeekuk has been a fisherman in Savoonga for more than 25 years. He said they’re already preparing to move over to the new plant, as soon as the end of this year’s halibut season.
“We'll be moving over to the new plant by next year, but after the fishing is over, we're gonna start bringing over the connexes and whatever out there ourselves,” Kingeekuk said.
Pungowiyi hoped the plant will strengthen ties across St. Lawrence Island. He recalled how the communities Gambell and Savoonga once worked side by side to unload cargo ships in the '70s for both villages. He wanted the next generation to share in that same cooperation, a bond he hopes will continue to thrive.
“That would make a stronger bond for both of the villages,” Pungowiyi said. “You know, we're all related. It would be nice to have the younger generation have that experience I had growing up having relatives over here working together.”
He said the new halibut plant isn’t just a building for Savoonga, it’s a promise of more work, stronger ties, and a future that keeps the community connected to the sea and each other.
