Smart Seafood Handling in Alaska: How Kaia Fisheries Protects Quality From the First Moment
For most of the seafood industry, quality control begins at the processing plant. By then, the fish has already been onboard for hours — moved, stacked and exposed to temperature changes by crews working under pressure. For cod destined for premium markets, that window matters more than most buyers ever see.
Kaia Fisheries, operating the F/V Kaia out of Dutch Harbor, Alaska, decided to close that gap.
Dutch Harbor: Where Conditions Define the Product
Dutch Harbor sits in the heart of the Aleutian Islands, one of the most productive and demanding fishing environments in the world. Weather changes fast, space onboard is limited and the crew works long days with little margin for error.
Founded by Erik and Lacey Velsko, Kaia Fisheries set out with a clear goal: fresh fish, better prices and smarter fishing. That ambition required looking honestly at every step of the process, including what happens before the vessel reaches port.
The Problem With Waiting
Traditional onboard handling has often treated the vessel as a holding environment rather than the first stage of a quality system. For commodity markets, that approach has worked well enough. For premium markets, it is increasingly a liability.
Temperature is the key variable. Once fish comes onboard, bacterial growth and enzymatic breakdown begin immediately. Every hour without effective chilling reduces shelf life, affects texture and narrows the gap between a premium product and an average one. For cod sold into markets that reward freshness and consistency, that gap is measured in both quality and price.
Kaia Fisheries recognised this. The question was not whether to improve onboard handling, but how to do it practically without creating new burdens for the crew.
Building the Right System
The answer came through a collaboration with KAPP, Sæplast and iTUB.
KAPP supplied the slurry ice system at the centre of the operation. Slurry ice chills fish faster and more evenly than traditional flake or block ice, surrounding the catch completely and bringing core temperature down quickly. On the F/V Kaia, 100 percent of the cod catch is now processed with slurry ice.
Sæplast and iTUB insulated tubs complete the system. Once chilled, the fish is stored and transported in tubs built to hold temperature through storage, rough handling and offloading. In the tight spaces and demanding conditions of an Alaskan fishing vessel, equipment has to work without getting in the way. These tubs do.
For iTUB this is what reusable tub rental looks like in practice. A tub is not an isolated product — it is one point in a chain. When that chain is designed well the effect carries through to the processor, the buyer and the end customer.
See our full container range here.
What the Results Show
Buyers receiving cod from the F/V Kaia have reported a clear and immediate improvement in freshness and consistency. The product arrives in better condition with longer shelf life and stronger market value.
For Kaia Fisheries that translates directly to commercial outcomes. Better raw material means better yield for processors, more predictable quality and a stronger position in markets that pay for premium product.
For the crew the system has simplified rather than complicated the work onboard. Fast chilling, durable tubs and straightforward routines mean less handling and a more consistent result at every offload.
Why This Matters Beyond One Vessel
The Kaia Fisheries project is relevant to any seafood producer who wants to protect quality at the source. It shows that meaningful improvement does not require a major overhaul. It requires the right system, applied consistently, from the first point of contact with the catch.
That is the kind of work iTUB is built to support — not as a supplier of tubs, but as part of a system that helps seafood businesses create value from sea to shore.
Watch the full film from Dutch Harbor here: https://youtu.be/jVNpdyGWWRM
