A big price increase for Bristol Bay fishermen

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game has released the 2026 Bristol Bay salmon season summary. Here are a few highlights:

• The commercial harvest of 30.1 million sockeye was 7 percent below forecast.

• Average ex-vessel price for sockeye was $1.72 a pound, with total sockeye fishery value for the season totaling $260.2 million.

• By comparison, the 2025 season summary showed a catch of 41.2 million sockeye, a price of $1.03 a pound and a fishery value of $214.3 million.

• Average sockeye weight this season was about 5 pounds, equaling the recent five-year average.

• Egegik was the most productive fishing district with a catch of 9.2 million sockeye, edging the Nushagak with 9.1 million.