Flying fish: Prized king salmon arrive to market by Boeing 737

Only about 18 hours earlier, that same Copper River king salmon started its journey from sea to Seattle in the coastal community of Cordova, Alaska -- about 1,300 miles north of Seattle. Accessible only by air or boat, the town is flanked by snow-capped peaks while the pristine waters of Prince William Sound lap at its feet.The town was originally settled in 1909 as a copper and oil shipping hub. These days, however, it's all about the fish.

"The mainstay of the whole economy is commercial fishing," Jerry McCune, President of the Cordova District Fishermen United union, says of the town's 2,000 year-round residents. "Everybody has some kind of tie."

Published by USA Today, 20th of May 2015