New ASMI board members

The governor recently made two appointments to the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute board of directors.

• Christine O'Connor fills an open harvester seat on the board. She is executive director of the Alaska Telecom Association, ASMI's latest monthly marketing update says. She holds a Bristol Bay salmon setnet permit, the Alaska Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission database shows.

• Eric Deakin fills a seat designated for a large processor. He is CEO of Coastal Villages Region Fund, one of Alaska's six community development quota organizations.

With these appointments, all seven seats on the ASMI board are now filled.

Bristol Bay's big year

The Bristol Bay sockeye harvest has clicked over 40 million fish.

That's an impressive tally, well above the state's preseason forecast of 34.8 million sockeye and last year's harvest of 31.7 million.

The biggest harvest ever at Bristol Bay was 60.5 million sockeye in 2022.

Salmon notes

• A major Bristol Bay fish processor, Trident Seafoods, is paying a base price of 95 cents a pound for sockeye, Dillingham radio station KDLG reports. That compares to a Bristol Bay average of 89 cents in 2024.

• Bristol Bay's Nushagak District has netted a strong sockeye catch this season. "Harvest in the district is at 15.9 million, the fourth-largest harvest for the Nushagak District ever, but harvest has slowed and fishermen are pulling boats and ending their seasons," the Alaska Department of Fish and Game reported Friday.

• Fish and Game provided new details on a reported fuel spill at Chignik: "Leaking fuel in the Chignik Lagoon due to a capsized seiner caused the commercial opener on Sunday, July 13, to be prematurely closed in the Chignik Bay District. The fishery was able to reopen on Tuesday, July 15."

Salmon notes

• The Bristol Bay salmon harvest stands at nearly 38 million fish, with daily catches now appearing to slow significantly. Deckboss still hasn't heard anything regarding ex-vessel prices.

• Southeast trollers will get a second summer Chinook opener next month, but the available quota won't be enough for a competitive fishery. So, the Department of Fish and Game plans to divide the quota among registered permit holders. After Aug. 1, the department will announce the number of Chinook per permit, and the dates for the planned 10-day opener.

Salmon notes

• The Bristol Bay salmon catch now stands at 36.4 million fish, surpassing the state's preseason forecast of 34.8 million sockeye.

• Statewide, the all-species salmon harvest now exceeds 54 million fish.

• The state closed commercial fishing Sunday in the Chignik Bay District due to a fuel spill within Chignik Lagoon.

Bristol Bay surges forward

At this moment, the catch in Bristol Bay stands at nearly 27 million salmon, with big hauls still coming in. Fishermen caught more than 2.5 million yesterday.

This is shaping up as a fine season, with the state's preseason forecast of nearly 35 million sockeye well within reach.

Now, let's see what kind of price the processors pay once fishermen begin to pull their boats and head home.

Bristol Bay heats up

As of this moment, the commercial catch in Bristol Bay, scene of the state's flagship salmon fishery, exceeds 12 million sockeye.

The last two days each saw a catch of about 2.4 million fish. The bay's Nushagak District, over by Dillingham, is the hot spot with a catch of nearly 7 million thus far.

The fishery typically peaks around the Fourth of July.

The state has forecast a potential season catch of nearly 35 million sockeye.

You can track the fishery's progress here.

Three rescued from Bristol Bay boat in distress

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Ugashik fishing district

Type: Search and rescue

On June 28 at 2:54 p.m., the Alaska Wildlife Troopers received a report of an overturned or swamped fishing vessel, the Happy Hooker, in the shallows off the beach in the Ugashik fishing district, outside King Salmon, near Pilot Point, with three commercial fishermen in survival suits stuck on the listing boat. The patrol vessel Audrey Ann was in the district due to the ongoing commercial fishery and responded. Troopers were able to rescue all three, under very challenging wind and surf conditions, from the Audrey Ann's skiff. All three survivors declined medical attention.

Hannah heads to the bay

Northline Seafoods says its 400-foot processing barge, the Hannah, is on its way to Bristol Bay for its second salmon season.

The barge was cleared to depart Bellingham after its owner posted a special bond to free the vessel from arrest in a court case involving a nearly $1.3 million debt claim.

A second Bristol Bay forecast

The University of Washington's 2025 Bristol Bay sockeye salmon forecast projects a harvest of 37.8 million fish.

That compares to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game forecast of 34.8 million fish.

A bigger Bristol Bay catch expected next year

The state has released its 2025 Bristol Bay sockeye salmon forecast, which predicts a harvest of 34.8 million fish.

That would surpass the 31.6 million sockeye taken this past season.

Bigger price, smaller fish at Bristol Bay

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game has posted its summary of the 2024 Bristol Bay salmon season, and the numbers certainly are interesting.

• The average ex-vessel price for sockeye was 89 cents per pound, way better than the 52 cents indicated in the 2023 season summary.

• The high proportion of younger fish in this year's run resulted in the smallest average sockeye weight on record at 4.53 pounds. Last year's sockeye averaged 5.54 pounds.

• The year's harvest tallied 31.6 million sockeye, well below the more than 40.5 million last year.

• Despite the smaller fish and reduced harvest, this year's sockeye fishery was worth more at a preliminary value of $127.4 million, compared to last year's $116.8 million.

Another big Bristol Bay sockeye harvest in 2025?

A preliminary forecast from the University of Washington projects a harvest of 32.4 million sockeye next year in Bristol Bay.

That would slightly top this year's solid harvest, which is all but finished.

A missing person in Bristol Bay

Authorities have been searching for a person reported overboard from a fishing vessel at Egegik in Bristol Bay.

The missing person was first reported to the U.S. Coast Guard last week, said Mike Salerno, a Coast Guard spokesman in Juneau.

Coast Guard aircraft, the cutter Aspen, and several fishing boats mounted a search of area waters. The missing person reportedly wasn't wearing a life jacket.

The vessel involved was the Warmaster, Salerno said. State records list the owner of the 32-foot boat as Guy Hoy, of Everson, Washington.

Salerno said the Coast Guard, by policy, would not release the missing person's name.

Deckboss has asked the Alaska State Troopers for identification.

Salmon notes

Here are a couple of items of interest from the salmon season so far.

• The industry has notched a productive season in Bristol Bay. The total catch stands at 30.8 million sockeye, well above the preseason forecast of 25 million. The fish, however, reportedly are quite small this year. Deckboss remains in the dark on prices. Evidently they were good, as we've heard no bellyaching from fishermen.

• The Prince William Sound seine fishery is struggling. The common property pink salmon harvest through July 26 was "very poor" at 3.9 million fish, or 68 percent below the even-year average for 2004-22, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game reports.

Salmon notes

Here are a few important developments in the salmon fisheries.

• The Bristol Bay sockeye fishery continues and the harvest has now exceeded the preseason forecast. The catch currently stands at 26.5 sockeye, well above the projected 25 million.

• Northline Seafoods says its Bristol Bay freezer barge is back to full operations following a fire that hobbled the platform earlier in the season.

• Hannah Heimbuch tells the story of how salmon setnetters at Alitak, on the remote south end of Kodiak Island, saved their season after processor OBI Seafoods dropped the fleet this year. The setnetters found a helping hand in Silver Bay Seafoods, Heimbuch writes.

• It's a big day for Alaska's troll fishery tomorrow in San Francisco, where the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will hear oral argument in the Wild Fish Conservancy case. The organization has been trying to shut down the fishery, which it claims is harmful to endangered killer whales.

Salmon notes

Here's a news roundup from the salmon season thus far.

• The Bristol Bay catch now stands at nearly 21 million sockeye. Fishing remains strong with more than 1 million fish taken yesterday.

• Driftnetters have taken nearly 1.3 million sockeye in the Copper River District, and Eshamy Main Bay has produced more than 1 million sockeye.

• Circle Seafoods confirms the first of several planned processing barges will not be ready in time to take part in this year's Southeast Alaska salmon fisheries. In the interim, the company is renting plant space in Metlakatla this summer to handle pinks and chums from a handful of seiners, the Ketchikan Daily News reports.

• In Canada, the Fraser River sockeye run size forecast is the lowest on record. More details in this Pacific Salmon Commission report.

Crewman reported dead in Bristol Bay

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: King Salmon

Type: Drowning

On 7/5/24 at approximately 1231 hours, Department Of Public Safety patrol vessel Stimson received a mayday call from a commercial salmon fisherman in Kvichak Bay stating he lost a crewman over the side of his vessel. Alaska Wildlife Troopers responded to the area with two patrol skiffs and arrived just as the reporting vessel had located and retrieved their unconscious crewmember out of the water. AWT performed lifesaving measures for approximately one hour prior to pronouncing the crewman deceased. Investigation revealed Corwin Wheeler, 21, of Wisconsin, had become entangled in fishing gear and was pulled overboard and underwater. Next of kin has been notified.

Bristol Bay comes to life

After an easygoing start, the Bristol Bay salmon fishery is starting to gallop.

Yesterday was the first really big day of the season with a catch of more than 1.6 million sockeye, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game reports.

Total catch for the season now stands at nearly 7 million fish.

The forecasted harvest for this year is about 25 million sockeye, so still a ways to go.

Northline barge at 'reduced capacity' after fire

Here's a press release with further details.