September 19, 2025 — The 2025 Southeast Alaska purse seine fishery closed in early September with just under 20 million pink salmon landed — well below the forecast of 29 million and marking the lowest odd-year harvest since the 1980s.
“Fair to say that the season was a disappointment as far as pink salmon harvest goes,” said Troy Thynes, Alaska Department of Fish and Game regional management coordinator in Petersburg.
The disappointing harvest adds pressure to an industry already facing high fuel costs, inflation and low salmon prices.
Low pink salmon returns were a challenge for Trident Seafoods, which cut back to one shift at its Wrangell plant in August, earlier than it had expected.
The Southeast harvest represents only about 66% of pre-season expectations and falls well below recent odd-year returns: 2023 brought in 44 million fish, and 2021 was even higher at 48.5 million pinks.