Salmon season tallies $577 million

This year's Alaska salmon harvest paid almost $577 million ex-vessel, a strong result but short of last year's total.

The salmon value is among highlights contained in this year in review presented at last week's Pacific Marine Expo in Seattle.

Check out the 13-page report for interesting notes by region on salmon, crab, herring and other fisheries.

Humble herring quota set for Sitka Sound

The Department of Fish and Game has set a preliminary guideline harvest level of 8,712 tons for the 2015 Sitka Sound sac roe herring fishery.

It's the smallest GHL since 2003, when the quota was 6,969 tons.

This year's fishery produced a harvest of 16,976 tons on a GHL of 16,333 tons.

The 2015 GHL is subject to adjustment prior to the start of the spring fishery. More details in this official announcement.

Fishermen's Finest to build advanced trawler

Fishermen's Finest Inc. is planning to build a highly advanced new factory trawler. That's an artist's rendering above.

The Kirkland, Washington, company last week signed a deal with Dakota Creek Industries Inc. to construct the vessel, to be named America's Finest.

Fishermen's Finest says the 262-foot trawler will be "the first carbon-neutral fishing vessel in the world and will fully utilize every fish caught."

The company already operates two factory trawlers, American No. 1 and U.S. Intrepid. Both were built in the late 1970s.

Fishermen's Finest is part of the so-called Amendment 80 fleet, which targets species such as yellowfin sole, cod and Pacific ocean perch in the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska.

Western Alaska mining company indicted

Details in this news release from the U.S. attorney's office.

Friday memorial set for UniSea's Terry Shaff

UniSea Inc., which operates a major processing plant at Dutch Harbor, has announced the passing of Terry Shaff, the company president.

A celebration of his life is set for Friday in Seattle. More details here.

Big Bristol Bay sockeye catch expected in 2015

State biologists are forecasting a hefty catch of 38.5 million sockeye salmon next year at Bristol Bay.

Last season's catch was 28.8 million sockeye, well above expectations.

Read the 2015 forecast here.

'Excellent' pink harvest predicted for Southeast

The state is forecasting an "excellent" harvest of 58 million pink salmon next year in Southeast Alaska.

A harvest of that size would be well above the recent 10-year average of 41 million pinks, and would rank among the top 10 harvests since 1960, the Department of Fish and Game says.

Read the forecast here.