Wrangell declares Dungeness fishery disaster

Here's a press release.

Salmon notes

• This is a down year in terms of catch volume. With the fishing season substantially concluded, the statewide harvest stands at 87.2 million salmon. That's far below the state's preseason projection of 125.5 million. The last time Alaska's annual salmon harvest finished below 100 million fish was nearly four decades ago, in 1987.

• Much of the shortfall owes to a poor pink salmon harvest. About 56 million pinks were expected, but the industry thus far has taken only 38 million. Regionally, results vary widely. Kodiak has slightly exceeded projections with a catch of 12.8 million, while Prince William Sound is experiencing disaster with only 3.8 million pinks taken on a forecast of 18.6 million. Most Prince William Sound pinks come from hatcheries.

• The statewide sockeye harvest lags projections by 24 percent, and the chum harvest is 41 percent behind.

• On the bright side, the weak harvest appears to be boosting prices for commercial fishermen. For example, the Southeast Alaska purse seine harvest is expected to exceed the 2016-25 average value of $56.5 million, with the Department of Fish and Game reporting salmon prices are "substantially higher than they have been for many years."

• Southeast Alaska trollers were expected to reach the limit of 33,000 treaty Chinook salmon by the midnight Friday closure of the second summer opener. Based on reported average prices and weights, each Chinook is worth about $97.

Blotter

Check out The Brig for some federal fisheries enforcement news.

Norway's King Harald V crosses the bar

King Harald V of Norway has died at the age of 89. Here's a CNN article on his passing,

The king came to Seattle in 1995 and again in 2015, when his itinerary included a visit to Pacific Fishermen Shipyard in Ballard.

Ballard is headquarters for the North Pacific commercial fishing industry and the traditional center of Seattle's Scandinavian community.

Here's a video of the king's Pacific Fishermen visit. You're sure to recognize some famous figures from Alaska's fishing industry.

CFEC sets a meeting

The Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission plans to meet Sept. 2, and the agenda includes some quite significant items.

Alaska resident sought for halibut commission

Here's the Federal Register notice.

National ensign at half-mast for Dolly Parton

Here's a bulletin from the U.S. Coast Guard.