Changes at the top for OBI Seafoods

Longtime Alaska seafood industry leader Mark Palmer is retiring as OBI Seafoods chief executive.

Here's a press release detailing this and other management moves at the company.

Palmer is on the board of the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute.

Setnetters say no

Bristol Bay setnetters have voted against joining the Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association.

"Over 30 percent of the setnetters voted, and the vote narrowly failed by a margin of 19 votes," BBRSDA said.

Bristol Bay forecast is out

The state is forecasting a 2024 Bristol Bay sockeye salmon harvest of 25 million fish.

That would be a big drop from this season's catch of 40.6 million sockeye.

Alaska's disappointing salmon season

This year's harvest topped 230 million salmon, far more than last year, but the value took a huge drop due to adverse market conditions, the state reports.

Remembering an Alaska fisheries pioneer

A celebration of life for Al Burch is set for noon Saturday at the Kodiak Elks Lodge.

We understand donations in his honor can be made to the Kodiak Maritime Museum.

More BBRSDA news

The election closes today for salmon setnetters voting on whether to join the Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association.

We're told, however, that it might be some days or even weeks before the mail-in ballots are counted and we have results.

Anyone care to predict the outcome?

A new BBRSDA director

Matt DeWitte, owner of the F/V Ruthless and resident of Whitefish, Montana, has been appointed to the Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association board of directors.

He will finish out the term of Michael Jackson, who resigned.