Bristol Bay salmon notes

Here are a few items of interest.

• The projected Bristol Bay harvest next year is 26.4 million sockeye. That's according to a preliminary forecast from the University of Washington Fisheries Research Institute. A harvest of that size would be much smaller than this year's 39.4 million sockeye.

• Bristol Bay setnetters are voting now by mail on whether to self-impose a 1 percent tax on their harvest to join the Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association, whose membership currently includes only driftnetters. The election closes on Oct. 19.

• Michael Jackson has resigned, creating a vacancy on the BBRSDA board of directors.

• The Alaska Board of Fisheries is being asked to clarify the rules regarding the 32-foot vessel length limit in the Bristol Bay fishery. The board will meet for a work session Oct. 12-13.

Getting an edge in Bristol Bay

One of the best-known fishing rules in Alaska is the 32-foot length limit on drift gillnet boats operating in the Bristol Bay sockeye salmon fishery.

The rule is a great leveler for the highly competitive harvest.

But make no mistake, the bay's 32-foot boats are not equal. The more aggressive fishermen have found ways to pack more and more fishing power into their boats, making them wider, faster, brawnier and better equipped than other vessels.

It's all about outcompeting other captains for the sockeye that pour into the bay by the millions each summer.

But this coming season, Bristol Bay gilletters are expected to come under extra scrutiny from the Alaska Wildlife Troopers, who issued this letter to driftnet permit holders warning against add-ons or other modifications that could violate the 32-foot vessel length limit.

"In an effort to ensure a fair and equitable fishery, AWT will be measuring vessels for possible enforcement action during the 2023 fishing season," the letter says.

Could be a lot of Bristol Bay fishermen will be scrambling to bring their boats into compliance.

Limit seiners and the law

State Rep. Dan Ortiz, of Ketchikan, has filed a bill titled "An act relating to the length of vessels used in a salmon seine fishery."

The bill seems to be a bid to clarify in Alaska statutes that 58 feet is the maximum allowable length overall for a salmon seiner.

It would appear to take away the authority of the Board of Fisheries to provide by regulation for the use of longer vessels.

Deckboss has heard some talk about the motivation behind this bill, but is not yet clear enough on the details to say more about it.