Baker Lake, Wash. and Bellingham, Wash., 2015-5-18 — /EPR Retail News/ — In Haggen’s continuing mission to provide the very best local products to its customers, the company has forged a new partnership with Swinomish Fish Company to bring fresh Baker Lake salmon to its seafood cases this spring.
Northwest salmon season is upon us, and the fresh king and sockeye salmon that is sought-after globally is right in Haggen’s backyard. Haggen’s seafood buyer, Amber Thunder Eagle, has spent the winter meeting local fish companies and making arrangements for the world’s best fish to be delivered fresh from the sea to Haggen’s seafood cases.
“Haggen is proud to add this remarkable salmon to our selection of fresh Northwest seafood,” said Thunder Eagle. “I know the care and effort that goes into catching Baker Lake Salmon in a sustainable, responsible way, and the quality really shines through in the flavor.”
The Baker Lake salmon run is predicted to be abundant in 2015, with return levels approaching 35,000 fish. These native salmon follow their instincts through the Salish Sea, push up the Skagit River and return to Baker Lake near Concrete, Washington. As recently as 1985 the run faced near-extinction, with only 99 fish returning to the lake. But thanks to local conservation efforts, including education and habitat restoration, the health of the run has been restored. In 2012, a record-high return was recorded with more than 48,000 fish returning to spawn. Each year, the fish are helped around a dam to provide them access to their ancestral spawning grounds.
“We’re grateful for the restoration of the Baker Lake run, and that we found a proactive partner like Haggen who thinks along the same lines we do – to bring the region’s best salmon to the people of the Northwest in a responsible manner,” said Everette Anderson, Vice President of Marketing and Sales for Swinomish Fish Company. “The community who made this possible are steadfast in the preservation of this run, which will benefit the people of Washington for generations.”
Baker Lake Salmon from the fishers of the Swinomish Fish Company will be available at Haggen beginning mid-May while supplies last. Quantities are subject to fishing and weather conditions. For recipes and further information, visit www.haggen.com.
About Haggen
Founded in 1933 in Bellingham, Washington, Haggen has built its business on providing guests the freshest and most local products with genuine service, while supporting the communities it serves. The company currently operates stores in Washington, Oregon and California, and is in the process of acquiring 146 stores and establishing a second headquarters in Irvine, California. With this acquisition, Haggen will expand from 18 stores with 16 pharmacies to 164 stores with 106 pharmacies; from 2,000 employees to more than 10,000 employees; and from a Pacific Northwest company with locations in Oregon and Washington to a major regional grocery chain with locations in Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada and Arizona. Throughout its eight decades in business, the company has supported regional farms, ranches, fisheries and other businesses, creating a lasting and sustainable local food economy. The company remains focused on building local, sustainable food economies as it expands. For more information about what’s happening at Haggen, visit haggen.com, and get social with Haggen on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
About Swinomish Fish Company
Swinomish Fish Company Inc. is a tribally-owned seafood wholesaler, retailer and custom processing plant based in La Conner, Washington. With 10,000 years of knowledge of our ancestral waters behind us, our dedication and sense of responsibility towards managing and protecting the bounty of the Salish Sea and water resources beyond it is just as vital to our heritage today as it was so many years ago. We strive to provide the highest quality Native American brand seafood products available. Our brand NativeCatch is all-natural, wild, and sustainably harvested. We work cooperatively with Native Fisherman throughout the Salish Sea and from Alaska to California, sourcing quality seafood for distribution around the world. For more information about the Swinomish Fish Company and NativeCatch, visit swinomishfishcompany.com.
Media Inquiries
If you are a member of the media working on a story about the company of Haggen or Haggen stores in the Pacific Northwest (Washington or Oregon), please contact Deborah Pleva at deb@weinsteinpr.com. If your story relates to Haggen stores in the Pacific Southwest (California, Arizona or Nevada), please contact Kris Ellenberg at kellenberg@goldpr.com.
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