- So, we are about to go out on the boat.

We're gonna go check out a couple of different salmon fishing boats that they have here in the Metlakatla community.

And, hopefully they'll let me gut some fish, or pull some line, make me sweat.

So we'll see.

(jazz music) Where's the food at Melody?

What have you cooked?

(laugh) (slow mood music plays) All-right, so we're gonna try, after hours waiting.

To stop.

Getting on this puddle-jumper to get to Metlakatla, Annette island.

(rap music plays) - You're all set.

- [Lucas] Thank you sir.

(plane engine whirs) - Flat, calm water.

Sunshine's out.

Fishing's a little slow.

- Fishing's still slow, yeah?

- Yeah.

- Yeah?

What's the... What's the... Are they picking them up through the (mumbles)?

- These guys are icing-up for tomorrow if you guys wanna go for a ride.

- [Moderator] Yeah.

- We should talk about this dinner with Melody and Ruth.

I didn't mention that to you yet, but I talked to them on Friday and Saturday.

They wanna put together whatever you guys wanna do for filming on a-- - [Moderator] Awesome.

- Totally culturally-significant meal With the families.

- I'm so excited.

- [Dustin] Yep.

And I mentioned it to her, called her up Friday after we talked, and she was like, we're in.

We're all over it.

- [Dan] Ah, that's awesome, that's great.

- [Emily] That sounds wonderful.

- [Dustin] So, yeah, that's gonna be good.

- [Emily] Thanks so much for doing that for us.

- Dustin, you're amazing.

Thank you.

(jazz music plays) Oh my God, there's a coffee shed.

I'd like to have an "Americano", please.

(laughs) - [Rider] I like walking a little bit on the shore.

- Dan.

(indistinct talk) (radio squelches) I have told y'all the plan like four times.

They just do not, it's like, it's like cameramen, you have to (mumbles).

- Skipper away.

- [Announcer] Don't blow-up the boat while we're gone.

- [Emily] Yeah, no seal bombs.

- [Announcer] No seal bombs.

- I can't guarantee that.

(laughs) This is not my territory.

(drone engine buzzes) - [Announcer] Cool.

And then we can just push up-stream?

- So, yeah.

I'll fly, so you're just watching what I'm seeing.

- [Announcer] Ooh, look at that.

That looks beautiful.

The salmon starts here.

- [Kevin] They could stay up-to a year.

Depends on the salmon species.

- [Announcer] Yeah.

- [Kevin] They'll imprint in the area that they came out of the egg in.

- [Announcer] What do you mean by the imprint?

- [Kevin] It's nature's way of, that this is where you were born, and this is where you come back to.

- [Announcer] So salmon comes back to end its life where it started.

- We just purchased this drone last year.

This was the whole intent, was to give us a quick idea on whether or not there's fish in the streams.

- How important is this process, like when you guys look at it from a certification standpoint?

Like, this is all pieces of the management?

- Yes, absolutely.

Management is one of the big three pillars of fishery certification, so less labor-intensive you can make it obviously.

- [Announcer] The Marine Stewardship Council is an international organization that utilizes a blue, fish label for us eaters to help identify some of the most sustainable fish on the market.

- And so of course, we're going to wanna have a fishery (mumbles) if we're not seeing any fish in the streams or if the fishermen are not catching anything.

- Because we can't continue to operate under this idea that there's just a plentiful amount of fish.

- [Emily] Yeah.

- So, it's an all-you-can-eat Vegas buffet.

(Emily laughs) (rock music plays) - Here's the community right here.

- This is where we are.

- Yep, we're right here now.

So we're going to leave from this dock and we're going to go down here south, to the Canoe Cove area.

Or the rock pile.

- The rock pile.

- That's what the guys call it, yeah.

This is like our main (mumbles).

And then after that, we'll probably come down here to the other.

This is called halfway point, or trap two site.

And then, we'll be hooking-off from here too.

- [Announcer] Trounce around and see who's got what going on?

- [Devin] Yep.

- [Announcer] Get on?

- [Devin] Watch your step, Lieutenant.

- Get on with the get on.

(boat engine whirs) (marine radio) We've just come-out on George's tender.

With Dustin and our friends at Marine Stewardship Council.

And we're going to check on the salmon catch, which, is going a little bit slower than usual.

So we're kind-of chasing, chasing folks around.

Shimchan is the tribe.

- [Dustin] Yep.

- And, what is the difference then, between that and the Metlakatla?

- [Dustin] Good question.

- [Announcer] You're Shimchan from Metlakatla.

- Yep.

- [Announcer] And then Annette Island is what?

Maybe like the state?

- That's the Reserve, yeah it's on Annette Island.

That's the name of the island, is Annette Island, yeah.

Yep.

- [George] We're a coastal community that went up and down and followed the fish.

- So what's your relationship, because you're not from Metlakatla?

- I work for the company that processes the fish in cooperation with the Tribe.

They, we use their plant, and we use as many local hires as we can.

(voice on marine radio) - [Announcer] So these guys are seiners?

- Yep, these are seiners.

So what they're doing is they're dropping their beach-end off on that rock point over there.

(boat engine whirs) Then he'll come out here, and scoop going that way, so, he's assuming the fish are coming at him.

- [Announcer] Scoop?

- Yep.

(winch squeaks) He'll grab the end of that net and that line you see just off the bow-- - [Announcer] Yeah.

- [Dustin] It'll get connected to the boat, and he's gotta time that just right so he can get outta there and duck under that tow line.

- [Announcer] That's a little dangerous.

- [Dustin] Yeah, it's a little juggling match there.

- This looks like really intense work I kinda wanna do it but, I'd screw it up so badly, I'd probably kill the whole crew.

(peaceful music) (fish flap) How many time in a day does a boat set the net out?

- I guess on average, it's probably 12, 13 times, but there are guys who do over 20.

- So how is the fishery today?

You've not been too happy.

The catch isn't looking the way you want.

How is it-- What's this year like versus last year?

- Well to put it in perspective, if you look at a ten-year average, through week 33 right now, we've caught roughly 470,000 fish.

And we should be about 1.2, 1.3 million through this week, I mean up until this week.

- [Announcer] Just a bad year?

Next year it'll bounce back?

I mean how much do you really know?

- It all depends on escapement, I mean the numbers you know, I mean, if we have another bad year, with a lot of die-offs in the creeks, then, you know, you can't expect to have a big run on the heels of that.

And we've had two of those back-to-back on these parent years.

2016 was bad.

2014 was bad.

- [Announcer] I mean, listen, certification processes are a pain in the ass.

Why do you guys?

Can you just not do it?

Would you not do it?

- Well, it is a pain, I mean there's a lot to it.

And it increases the workload on the department for sure.

Metlakatla and Annette Islands had a reputation for years, about, not only the amount of fish, and the processing and the quality but, just what it all means.

I mean Metlakatla and the Reserve, and the, you know the traditional nature is something that, I've felt important, for years.

I thought it was pretty unique, you know.

And other people do too.

You know, you think back, myself, years back with our filet markets, and the Silvers, and the Pinks, and Chum.

I mean, I've heard nothing but good things for my whole life about the quality from fish here caught on the Reserve, and how it was done.

And I think this helps us to continue that.

So, to me, it's worth it.

(upbeat music) - [Guest] These are delicious.

- After a quick feast of freshly-caught prawns, I'm off to work on George's tender, and learn how to sort salmon.

Day's fishing wraps, and the seiners and boats pull up to off-load their catch.

(machine whirs) It's so chaotic down here.

All these things.

Bing, bing, bing.

I wanna go sort now.

(mumbles) See you in the morning.

(indistinct talk) Ah, yeah, am I following you though?

- These boys have a, a big one.

- [Announcer] A big one?

A big brother?

- Ah, no, that's my little brother.

(laughs) - So, who do I listen to?

- They'll tell you which boxes, which fish go in which boxes.

- [Announcer] And I've already lost my gloves.

I'm following you.

- Yeah, if you just stand to the left of me, I'll bring out, show you everything.

- So do I go first?

I'm on your left, I got it.

Took me a second.

I'm really nervous.

- [Worker] That's Okay.

- Here?

Like this when it goes.

That's not a (mumble).

- These are pink salmon, they're also called "humpies".

You can tell 'cause they have a natural hump.

They have a bunch of black dots on the tail, which is mainly what you're looking at.

- [Announcer] It is a "humpy".

Guys, I gotta learn.

- All right.

- [Worker] This is a coho here.

- [Announcer] Oh.

- [Worker] It's got small little black spots up on the spine here.

- [Announcer] I love the Coho.

- [Worker] It's got a thicker tail - It's a slow run on this boat for you, right?

'Cause you're usually working on this like, massive amount.

- [Worker] Usually we're working really hard and fast.

You gotta go fast, and you gotta sort really fast.

(machine whirs) - [Announcer] Oh wrong, "Chum" - [Worker] Look at those, yeah don't do that.

Yeah, that one's huge.

It's crazy.

- [Announcer] Chum.

That one's huge.

What is this?

(indistinct talk) But who's it going to.

- [Worker] There you go.

- Hey yum.

- It's just like a video game.

- It is.

- Hey that one's still alive.

- I know.

- On these ones, we usually wait here until they die.

And we just watch them die.

- Can we hold hands or something?

Like, that's really intense.

So when you're spotting, your just really looking at tail.

(laughs) You're looking at tail.

- Yeah.

- [Announcer] I get it.

I get it.

(workers laugh) (upbeat music) So, all of these moving parts are just a piece of what MSC looks at for a fishery to earn it's blue fish label.

- We call it "Form Line" now, but it's a shared art form up and down the coast.

Clinkquets, Hieder, Simsian, Heisla, a few other neighboring tribes use the same design system.

- We'd use the same thing for... - [Announcer] Oh so this is a "Halabahuk" here?

- [Artist] Um-hmm.

This one.

- [Announcer] This, itself, is how you would hook your Halabuk.

- [Female Artist] Yes.

- This is gorgeous.

For the nieces.

Yeah, nice to see you again too.

- It's a "Harvesting Time" so we rarely get any sleep around here.

Some of the most simplest recipes were born out in the ocean.

Okay, when they're on the Saner.

The best recipes were born then.

- [Announcer] Really.

- Yeah.

- [Announcer] Melody and her mother Ruth are the go-to salmon preservers for the island.

- [Melody] So I'm just breaking the seal.

- [Announcer] When did you guys can these?

- [Melody] Two weeks ago.

- [Announcer] Oh wow.

- [Melody] I go in half and half with the fishermen here.

- [Announcer] I've heard that.

- You know, smoke their half, they go home and then can it.

With my half, I'll do anything.

- It's a playground, clearly.

- [Melody] These are marinated in soy sauce, Tabasco, brown sugar, little bit of salt.

Did I say vinegar already?

That's what we call Hawaiian strips.

That was a good year.

It's a jerky.

You wanna try that?

- I would eat this all the time, all day long.

- I like to throw a little bit of Irish Whiskey in there just to kinda kick it up a notch.

- [Announcer] Oh my gosh.

- Oh yeah.

- This right here is so delicious.

(laughs) - It is the best thing ever.

I'm gonna dream of this.

- Is it kelp?

- It's a kelp, that we pick-off the rock, okay?

I put it in a dehydrator.

I just break these pieces in here.

And, this recipe is my Auntie Ethel Leask's recipe.

- This would go so far with my Midwestern family.

- Yeah.

- Because they're Chex mix.

Mix, Dad.

Maybe Dad, we'll get you on kelp now.

- This is made with soy sauce, brown sugar.

Little bit of Tabasco.

Tabasco and sesame oil.

This was made this morning.

- Boy, you've been busy Today.

- You have no idea how attracted I am to salmon right now.

I wanna eat it every day.

Salmon is so ingrained in this culture.

Melody's versatile knowledge surpasses any creativity I've ever had with salmon.

I mean, what a rare opportunity.

Luke has been running around trying to capture about seven dishes going around.

That's the best salmon I've ever had.

- Isn't that amazing?

You guys wanna try this?

Give it a little try.

- [Announcer] The salmon has been prepared.

And now the community comes together.

- Everybody gather to the circle, let's go.

We're going to have Dustin say a prayer for us.

Mama?

- Our Heavenly Father, and Grand Creator, we come before you this evening to give thanks for this day of life and also for our evening meal together.

And also for our fine gathering with friends, family.

So we appreciate everything that you do and everything that you provide for us.

And we ask this for your Son's name Jesus Christ, amen.

- [Group] Amen.

- There you go.

(laughs) (guest chatter) - It's Grandma, and Ma-Ma, and grand babies are here.

- [Guest] You're so blessed with all this family.

- Yeah, yeah, they seem pretty game.

(cork pops) - The salmon sisters.

- [Announcer] Actually, why don't I open the other one.

It will be fresh.

(overlapping talk) - Where's your food at Melody?

What have you cooked?

(laughs) You've made everything.

And your family is here.

I keep getting so distracted.

You've got babies and grand babies.

- I do.

And I've got eight grandchildren now.

- Oh.

And a little tiny baby new one.

Who I just keep staring at.

Staring.

(upbeat music) (boat engine whirs) - Yep.

Get that bloodline out of there.

- I need some water.

- I think he just went to get some.