Strong Harvest Predicted for Bristol Bay Salmon Fishery

Hello Fishies!

With the salmon seasons gearing up and many of the TV people either gillnetting or tendering, I thought you might like the following information.

BRISTOL BAY - Bristol Bay's sockeye salmon fishery is up and running, with an anticipated harvest of 26.3 million reds, out of some 34.4 million fish expected to return to the bay.

That forecast is 14 percent higher than the previous 10-year average of total runs of 30.2 million reds, with a run range of 17.8 million to 43.4 million fish. State biologists said all Bristol Bay systems are expected to exceed their minimum spawning escapement goals.

A run of 34.4 million sockeye can potentially produce a total harvest of 26.3 million fish, if escapement goals are met for all managed stocks and the commercial fishing industry is capable of taking the surplus fish, biologists said. A harvest of this size would be 40 percent higher than the previous 10-year mean harvest of 18.7 million reds.

The forecasted run to each district and river system is as follows: 11.54 million reds to Naknek-Kvichak District, including 3.88 million to Kvichak River; 2.03 million to Alagnak River; 5.64 million to Naknek River; 9.20 million to Egegik District; 4.18 million to Ugashik District; 8.9 million to Nushagak District, including 5.85 million to Wood River, 1.87 million to Nushagak River and 1.2 million to Igushik River; and 0.59 million to Togiak District.

The 2006 harvest of Bristol Bay sockeyesalmon was valued at about $91 million. Adding in a Chinook harvest of 106,200 fish valued at $1.3 million, a chum harvest of 2 million fish valued at $1.3 million, a pink harvest of 142,500 fish valued at $30,000, and a silver harvest of 53,150 fish valued at $165,000, the fishery as a whole was worth nearly $94 million, according to state fisheries reports.

The 2006 inshore Bristol Bay sockeye salmon run of slightly more than 43.1 million fish, was the ninth largest in-shore run since 1952, and 23 percent above the 20-year average. The harvest of nearly 29 million sockeye was the eighth largest since 1893.

The Egegik District was the only district that came in below forecast, dropping by 3 percent. The Naknek-Kvichak District sockeye salmon run was 18 percent above, Togiak District was 61 percent above, Nushagak District was more than double the forecast, coming in at 16 million sockeye, and Ugashik District was 5 percent above.

State fisheries statisticians also said the commercial harvest of approximately 106,000 Chinook salmon was the fifth largest in the last 20 years and 51 percent above the 20-year average of 70,000. The chum salmon harvest of approximately 2.1 million fish was the largest in the last 20 years. The coho salmon harvest of approximately 53,000 fish was well below the 20-year average of 103,000.

- Alaska Journal of Commerce

It does my heart good to see the fish returning in ever greater numbers and the prices paid to the fishermen rising as well. Its about time!

The main stampede north has eased off a bit and any of you thinking about going up to try your hand at processing, pulling/picking fish on a gillnetter or on a tender may have a better chance at finding a flight. Its been a mad house at the airports!

As far a locating a job, they can be had but it can be dicey. I know this has been run on other blogs and forums but I know many of my readers don’t bother with them anymore. This is Corey Arnold’s account with photographs of how his journey into fishing occurred. Remember this is his story and may be not at all like what you have or may experience. I have a few issues with it myself and I think that you will find them as well when you read it. Please don’t avoid reading this due to the title:

Fecal Face - How To Be An Alaskan Fisherman

Stay tuned!

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