Saving Seafood

ALASKA: Bristol Bay sockeye run gaining momentum

June 23, 2026 — The 2026 Bristol Bay sockeye salmon season is beginning to take shape, with early catches concentrated in the Ugashik District and fishery managers reporting that run timing remains on track with preseason expectations.

According to the June 19 KDLG Bristol Bay Fisheries Report, fishermen across the bay have harvested 151,668 sockeye salmon so far this season, including 31,167 fish landed on Thursday. Total run strength has reached 199,369 fish, while cumulative escapement stands at 47,701 fish.

This year’s forecast calls for an inshore run of 44.1 million sockeye salmon. While that projection is 26 percent below the recent 10-year average, it remains 21 percent above the long-term average run of 37.4 million fish.

Ugashik has accounted for the bulk of the early harvest. Fishermen there landed 27,813 sockeye on Thursday, bringing the district’s cumulative catch to 107,281 fish. The district’s inshore run is forecast at 5.2 million fish, with a projected harvestable surplus of approximately 4.3 million fish after escapement needs are met.

Egegik’s cumulative catch has reached 38,784 fish. Escapement counts there climbed to 2,658 sockeye after 2,340 fish passed the counting towers Thursday. The district is forecast to receive an 8.9 million fish run, with a potential harvestable surplus of 7.5 million fish.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

ALASKA: BBRSDA funding diverts need for Bristol Bay cost recovery fishery, for now

March 31, 2016 — BRISTOL BAY, Alaska — Fishermen and processors aren’t the only ones who rely on Bristol Bay sockeye for part of their annual income. Each summer, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game uses cost recovery fishing to help fund management in Bristol Bay. But this summer, BBRSDA has agreed to pick up the tab to avoid what’s widely seen as an inefficient way of funding management.

In late March, the Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association agreed to provide the Alaska Department of Fish and Game with up to $250,000 to replace the need for the cost recovery fishery in Bristol Bay.

BBRSDA President Abe Williams said that while the board is providing funding this year, they have concerns about the long-term plan for funding fisheries management in the region.

“We see the budget of the department of fish and game being stripped, but in turn, they’re being forced to look at options like cost recovery to fund their budget,” Williams said. “I think collectively we need to look at how do we get the message back to the state of Alaska that they need to adequately fund the Department of Fish and Game so they can take care of the management business of the fishery in Bristol bay.”

Read the full story at KDLG