May 19, 2024 — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded more than USD 8.8 million (EUR 7.5 million) in U.S. salmon and walleye contracts.
Sitka, Alaska, U.S.A.-based Silver Bay Seafoods won the biggest share and will deliver USD 7.35 million (EUR 6.8 million) worth of canned pink salmon to several U.S. cities between July and December of this year as part of the USDA’s Child Nutrition Program and other domestic assistance programs.
May 19, 2024 — Alaska’s 2024 salmon season officially opened on Thursday, 16 May, with the kickoff of the Copper River sockeye fishery.
The 2024 commercial harvest forecasts for the Copper River District, located in the Prince William Sound region, are 1.3 million sockeye salmon, 46 percent above the 10-year average of 893,000 fish, and 47,000 Chinook, which is 2 percent below the 10-year average of 48,000 fish. However, the inside closure area of the Chinook fishery will be closed during early season fishing periods for conservation purposes and may be expanded early in the season to include waters inside the barrier islands east of Coffee Creek, according to Alaska Fish News.
May 16, 2024 — A letter from 17 industry leaders to Senators Patty Murray of Washington and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska urged Congress to “prioritize immediate and long-term funding” for the annual surveys of core commercial fisheries populations in the North Pacific done by the Alaska Fisheries Science Center (AFSC).
The May 10 letter was based on an earlier letter from the Freezer Longline Coalition (FLC), a trade association representing the owners of 19 longline vessels that target Pacific cod, urging the senators to bolster the survey program with funding and a strategic plan.
FLC’s executive director Chad See noted in his April 25 letter how essential collection of data is to support the sustainable management of North Pacific species, which provide “60% of all seafood harvested in the U.S. each year, directly support nearly 50,000 jobs and contribute nearly $16 billion to the U.S. economy.”
Just as annual surveys give scientists core data over a long term, missing or delaying surveys may leave scientists in the dark on anomalies that impact a species’ health. The cancellation of surveys during Covid meant managers were unaware of a continued, catastrophic drop in Bering Sea snow crab abundance. The head’s up they would have gotten in 2019 was not fully realized until 2021, delaying measures to recover the stock and contributing to unintentionally high catch limits.
“Stock data aside, North Pacific surveys also generate a wealth of other data that is helping NMFS scientists and fisheries stakeholders to better understand the impacts of climate change in the region and to anticipate potential management changes and other actions to support the continued sustainability of the fisheries, the marine ecosystem and the fishermen and communities that rely on the resource,” FLC’s See wrote in the April letter. “Perhaps more than anywhere else, the Arctic region within which the North Pacific lies is experiencing first-hand the impacts of a changing climate.”
May 16, 2024 — The opening of the famed Copper River fishery – it starts this year on May 16 – traditionally marks the beginning of a new commercial salmon season in Alaska.
Rather than excitement, however, much of the industry feels apprehension, anxiety, and even anger. Since last year, we’ve seen a procession of negative and worrying developments, leading some to question the future of the salmon business.
Alaska’s seafood industry is floundering due to factors including glutted markets, unfavorable currency exchange rates, post-pandemic consumer shifts, food inflation, and weakness in other important fisheries such as pollock.
Based on preliminary data, prices paid in 2023 to both fishermen and processors were historically low for salmon and pollock, according to a recent analysis prepared for the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI).
In recent months, we’ve seen extraordinary events, including the implosion of legacy processor Peter Pan Seafood and a selloff of Alaska plants by industry titan Trident Seafoods. Other processors have cut back operations. Some Alaska fishermen are wondering if they’ll have a market this year.
Could this be another season of discontent?
Certain forces suggest relief might be on the way. For one thing, the Alaska salmon harvest is expected to be much smaller this year at 136 million fish compared to 232 million in 2023. The catch of sockeye, the most valuable species, is projected at 39 million fish, well below last year’s 52 million. A smaller harvest could help clear salmon inventory and bolster ex-vessel and wholesale prices.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is buying huge volumes of Alaska salmon and pollock, supporting the struggling seafood industry.
The Alaska Legislature is putting together a special task force to address the industry’s problems – problems that could hurt Alaska coastal communities. And legislators are weighing an infusion of up to $10 million in additional support for ASMI. The marketing agency is pursuing new initiatives involving retail heavyweights such as Costco and Walmart, and in Japan, is supporting industry efforts to develop ready-to-eat convenience store products utilizing off-grade or No. 3 salmon.
Coming into this season, processors, in particular, face tremendous financial pressure – and high expectations.
Today, we offer the first of three conversations with top Alaska processing company CEOs.
May 15, 2024 — Research on declining populations of chinook salmon on the Yukon River have led scientists to a theory that combines the stress of warm water and the damage of disease.
As salmon runs on the Yukon River continue to decline, most notably that of chinook salmon, those that rely on the fish have faced “hardship [and] lots of cultural loss,” said Keith Herron, a masters student in the College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences (CFOS) at UAF.
While these fish have historically been a staple of the Yukon diet, run sizes have decreased in return from the ocean but researchers have also “seen a difference between estimates when they’re counted when they enter the river and when they go into Canada,” explained Herron. “Those estimates do not match and there’s like 40,000 fish potentially missing and there’s been no harvest.”
Herron and others in the field have already noticed the impact of warming waters on species across Alaskan waters. Notably this includes crabs and other salmon species. Some have seen population crashes, while some simply declined and others might be moving north towards cooler water.
May 14, 2024 — A special legislative panel is to make recommendations about state policies to rescue Alaska’s seafood industry, a major pillar of the economy that is mired in crisis, under a bill that won final passage over the weekend.
The measure, Senate Concurrent Resolution 10, would establish an eight-member seafood industry task force, with four state senators and four state House members and with the Senate president as chair.
The House passed it nearly unanimously on Saturday. The Senate, which originally passed it on April 19, on Sunday gave unanimous approval to changes made in the House.
The task force, to present recommendations to the Legislature by Jan. 21, 2025, is charged with finding some kind of response to the “unprecedented economic implosion of our industry,” Sen. Bert Stedman, R-Sitka, one of the sponsors, said in floor comments on April 19.
May 14, 2024 — A series of meetings hosted by the National Marine Fisheries Service intended to familiarize fishers with new commercial fishing regulations in the Cook Inlet Exclusive Economic Zone will be held in Kenai and Homer this week.
In Kenai, the informational meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 15, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Quality Inn.
In Homer, the informational meeting will be held Thursday, May 16, also from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at Best Western Bidarka Inn.
May 13, 2024 — Should Southeast Alaska have a hatchery-only king salmon sports fishery? Researchers recently tried to answer that question as a possible solution to a declining number of wild kings.
Chinook or king salmon are the largest and most valuable salmon species. They’re sought-after by sport, commercial, and subsistence fishermen alike. But in recent decades, their harvest has become more restricted as populations plummet. A recent study considered if a new Southeast fishery could help – one that allows sport fishermen to keep only hatchery king salmon and release wild ones.
“And an important question there is could this actually be done within the current management context? And is this something that is desirable for folks in Alaska?” asked Anne Beaudreau, who led the study, which took about a year.
Beaudreau is an associate professor with the University of Washington’s School of Marine and Environmental Affairs. The study was initiated and funded by the Alaska delegation of the Pacific Salmon Commission. Members asked the Alaska Department of Fish and Game to explore the possibility of a hatchery-based sports fishery, and the state then contracted with the university.
As part of the study, Beaudreau helped run several public meetings throughout Southeast. Dozens of people participated.
“We heard a lot of concern brought up at these meetings,” she said.
May 8, 2024 — The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) commissioned the McKinley Research Group to compose a research report on Alaska’s seafood industry. The report was titled The Economic Value of Alaska’s Seafood Industry. This report is the latest in the series commissioned by ASMI.
The total economic value of the Alaska seafood industry in 2021 and 2022 was a staggering $6 billion, a figure that underscores the industry’s substantial contribution to the state’s economy. This is a significant increase from the $5.6 billion recorded in 2019, the last full year before the COVID-19 pandemic. The report, as highlighted by Alaska Public Media, provides a stark warning about the industry’s economic future, making it a crucial read for all industry stakeholders.
The report stated that “a price collapse in 2023 bodes ill for the industry.” The dollar and employment totals didn’t use the 2023 data. However, the report included specific information about one of the leading fisheries affected- sockeye salmon.
The prices paid to commercial fishermen were, on average, less than half of what they were paid in 2022. This ex-vessel price, on average, was 65 cents, the lowest nominal price since 2004. The report stated, “among the lowest prices on record when adjusted for inflation.”
The report stated the reasons for the collapse, claiming that because of inflation, consumer demand plummeted in the United States. A strong dollar and weak yen made Alaska’s seafood prices less competitive in Japan, a crucial market for the state’s seafood. The report also shared that a significant amount of 2022 harvested fish was left in inventory, which made wholesalers and retailers less inclined to buy fish in 2023. The global supply of critical species such as pink salmon and pollock increased dramatically, notably from Russia but also in AK.
Based on the data from 2021 and 2022, the state supplied 60% of U.S.-produced seafood. If AK were ranked as an independent nation, it would rank as No. 9 as a global supplier of wild seafood. However, AK provided only 1.8% of the global supply during those years. Wild salmon and crab are considered premium products from the state but only accounted for 9% of the world salmon market and 9% of the world crab market. According to the report, farmed and wild Russian salmon dominate the market. King crab from Russia and snow crab from Canada dominate the world crab market. The closure of Alaskan crab affected the global market.
May 6, 2024 — Brett Van Alen was a commercial seiner and troller in Southeast Alaska, as well as a fisher for squid and sardines in California, who died last December aboard a boat at the age of 38, according to his father Ben. On Saturday members of Brett’s extended family gathered at the Alaska Commercial Fishermen’s Memorial for an annual ceremony where his name was announced as one of the six that will be engraved into the memorial wall this summer.
The reading of the 264 names on the wall, including those being engraved this year, to honor people lost at sea and others involved in the fishing industry occurred following the 34th annual Blessing of the Fleet at the downtown wharf.
Ben Van Alen says he’s a deckhand on a commercial troller as well as a government fisheries biologist, and while no other members of the family are commercial fishers “I think I did a little bit” influence on his son becoming one.
“We’ve always been active around the water and then fishing locally, and he just took it up,” he said.