September 9, 2026 — The summer commercial salmon season is winding down in Kodiak. Between high diesel prices and late salmon returns, this year’s season had plenty of twists. KMXT’s Katherine Irving broke it all down with Kodiak commercial salmon fisherman Darren Platt on Sep. 1.
The following transcript has been lightly edited for clarity and length.
Katherine Irving, KMXT: How has the season been so far?
Darren Platt: It’s been a pretty decent season here, I’d say. More fish than we expected, and higher prices than anybody thought we’d get in our lifetimes.
KMXT: And did you know that prices were going to be high at the beginning of the season, or was that a surprise to you?
Platt: We knew they were going to be high, but not where they are now. There’s people that always say, “Oh, we’re going to get this or that,” every year and you just wait till they post a price. And this year, when they posted it, everybody was shocked.
KMXT: And were the prices high for all species?
Platt: Every species had high prices this year. The highest I’ve seen in my career, I believe. Pinks right now we’re getting 70 cents [a pound]. In 2023, we were getting 18 cents a pound.