Salmon notes

• The statewide, all-species commercial salmon harvest now stands at more than 155 million fish, with catches continuing. The total harvest is expected to exceed 200 million once fisheries finish up this fall.

• Gov. Mike Dunleavy, you'll recall, offered legislation this year to allow limited finfish farming in Alaska. The bill is still pending. The governor, in a recent post on X, had this to say: "Alaska is a leader in fresh caught wild salmon. We could also be a leader in the farmed salmon industry. Why not do both instead of importing farmed salmon from Scotland?"

• Fraser River sockeye are coming in much stronger than expected. "The total Fraser sockeye adopted run size is now 10,175,000," says the latest Fraser River Panel regulatory announcement.

Fish farming in Alaska?

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game has prepared this overview for House Bill 111, the governor's legislation to legalize limited fish farming in the state.

No fish farming, says Bristol Bay group

The Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association has issued a policy statement on finfish farming in Alaska.

The statement comes in apparent reaction to Gov. Mike Dunleavy's legislation to legalize farming some fish species, though not salmon.

'Creating a new fish farming industry'

Gov. Mike Dunleavy is offering legislation to allow limited finfish farming in Alaska.

The bill would authorize "the cultivation and sale of certain finfish in natural or artificial inland, closed-system bodies of water," said a letter from the governor to House Speaker Bryce Edgmon.

It would prohibit farming pink, chum, sockeye, coho, Chinook and Atlantic salmon.

More Peltola fisheries legislation

Alaska Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola, who is fighting for reelection, has put in a bill that appears designed to shield the Alaska fishing industry from offshore fish farm competition, while also subsidizing development of community seafood processing capacity.

Washington state says no more fish farming

Washington state's public lands commissioner, Hilary Franz, on Friday announced an executive order to prohibit commercial finfish net pen aquaculture in state waters.

"Commissioner Franz's order will align Washington's net pen salmon aquaculture policy with policies already in place in Alaska, California and Oregon," says this news release.