Glacier Fish Company/Iquique US history

The REBECCA IRENE had been built in Panama City, Florida in 1986 specifically to catch groundfish in Alaska – her initial fishery was black cod and other rock fish caught in the Gulf of Alaska.

In 1987, the Company supported its continued growth with the conversion of the Pacific Glacier into a 276-foot catcher processor capable of both fillet block and primary surimi production allowing the flexibility to serve the global whitefish markets.

Iquique United States started with a single vessel, the F/T ARICA, which was acquired in Singapore and converted at the MARCO Shipyards in Seattle in 1988.

She fished her first full season in Alaska in 1989.

The CAPE HORN’s first trip was in the summer of 1991.

In 1992, with the creation of the Community Development Program in Alaska, the Company established a long standing harvesting relationship with Norton Sound Economic Development Corporation, an entity which represents its 15 member communities in the Norton Sound Region.

Her first season under Iquique management began in July 1998.

By the early 2000’s Iquique managed vessels had developed a strong presence in the marketplace and on the fishing grounds.

In 2008, the Company acquired one of its competitors, Alaska Ocean Seafood, thereby doubling the size of its quota holdings and adding the vessel Alaska Ocean to the fleet.

The vessel underwent a major conversion in May of 2009, modernizing many aspects of the vessel and its production capabilities.

In 2011, the Northern Glacier was converted into a Head and Gut (H&G) vessel to catch and process groundfish.