Nic Mink On Sitka Salmon Shares’ Quality-Oriented Approach To Fish, Food History, Phish & More
Sitka Salmon Shares’ story began in 2011, when Midwestern college professor Nic Mink and 2 of his students traveled to Sitka, Alaska for the summer. There, the 3 engaged in conversations and deepened their understanding of the importance of protecting Southeast Alaska’s wild salmon populations and the pristine environment that supports one of the world’s last great salmon reserves. They returned to the Midwest with boxes of line-caught, wild Alaskan salmon, as harvested by their fisher friends in Sitka. People raved about that salmon’s taste and were impressed by its traceability.
While in Alaska, Mink and crew met Marsh Skeele, a local legend on the Sitka dinner party circuit. Skeele’s favorite pastime included sourcing ingredients from the wilds of Southeast Alaska and elevating them with techniques learned from stints in professional kitchens. Skeele’s quest for perfect food spilled into his work as a commercial fisherman. He and Mink would go on to co-found the excellent company known as Sitka Salmon Shares.
On March 19, 2021, I had the pleasure of interviewing Nic Mink via Zoom, as embedded below. We not only talked about the past, present and future of Sitka Salmon Shares, but also the fish industry, his history within academia, music and television. More on Mink and Sitka Salmon Shares is online via www.sitkasalmonshares.com, www.facebook.com/SitkaSalmonShares and YouTube.