Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Smaller catch, bigger payoff at Bristol Bay

This year's Bristol Bay catch of nearly 15.4 million sockeye salmon brought $138.4 million ex-vessel, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game reports.

The previous year's catch was much bigger at almost 20.6 million sockeye, yet the payoff was lower at $117.8 million.

The difference?

Packers paid fishermen a much higher base price this year — $1.50 per pound — versus $1 last year.

It also helped that the average sockeye weighed 6 pounds this season, compared to 5.7 pounds in 2012.

None of the dollar figures quoted here include the various price adjustments and bonuses many fishermen enjoy at Bristol Bay.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Finally up to 32% of the 1979 price, as adjusted for inflation.

When can we get another tax, for more economic studies?



Anonymous said...

Hello!!!!! Don't you just think it could of been Silver Bay present in Bristol Bay . The base price should of been a $1.50 last year.

Anonymous said...

ah yes, silver bay, saving fishermen everywhere, one fishery at a time.

seriously, the price does seem to go up when they show up.

Anonymous said...

It was $2.40 lb. in 1988, that equals appx. $5 lb. today.

Hello buyers: time to share some of that Asian wealth.

2014 should be in the $2.50 range, or higher.

It's about time that this fishery starts looking like a viable business that can replace some aging capital assets.

Anonymous said...

1988 was the only year, it was low before that and after, but for some reason all salmon was high that year

Anonymous said...

"1988 was the only year, it was low before that and after, but for some reason all salmon was high that year."

That would be the maximum expansion of the Japanese bubble that would burst shortly thereafter and thus begin over two decades of stagnation for their economy. Everyone was a genius then: blue skies forever, capital construction funds that spilled cash every which way. It's very likely that salmon will never reach that level again on an inflation adjusted basis.

Anonymous said...

Did you notice that I didn't call for $5 lb. in 2014?