January 29, 2020 — Which Alaska region is home to the most fishing boats, and where do most of Alaska’s fishermen live?
Answers to those questions and many others can be found in the annual report Economic Value of Alaska’s Seafood Industry 2020 by the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute. The report, prepared by the McDowell Group, gives a fishing snapshot by Alaska region, including employment rates and tax revenues, and breaks down the industry’s impacts to the nation and the world.
Here are some highlights:
The seafood industry contributed $5.6 billion in economic output to Alaska’s economy in 2017/2018, including harvesting, processing, and support sectors.
About 58,700 workers were directly employed by Alaska’s seafood industry, earning $1.7 billion in wages annually.
There were 29,400 skippers, active permit owners and crew who fished in Alaska, of which 16,319 (56%) were Alaska residents.