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.