Fishing Vessel Nabbed With 80 Tons of Suspected Illegally Caught Salmon

A fishing vessel suspected of illegal, unreported, unregulated fishing activity in international waters was detained this past week by US and Chinese Coast Guard crews, along with one ton of squid and 80 tons of chum salmon on board.

The boarding of the Chinese-flagged fishing vessel Run Da in international waters 860 miles east of Hokkaido, Japan, was the result of a joint international effort of the US Coast Guard Cutter Alex Haley crew homeported in Kodiak, Alaska, and the People’s Republic of China Coast Guard.

According to Capt. Darran McLenon, chief of response for the 17th Coast Guard District, detention of the Run Da was “the first apprehension of a large-scale, high seas driftnet vessel since 2014 and highlights the successful fisheries enforcement cooperation and patrols of the US, Canada, China, Japan, Russia and the Republic of Korea, including the force multiplying value of shiprider agreements, which enables joint high seas boarding and inspections to detect and deter illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.”

The Run Da is suspected of violating the worldwide driftnet moratorium called for by the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 46/215, which calls for full implementation of a global moratorium on all large-scale pelagic driftnet fishing on the high seas. US Coast Guard officials said the captain of the Run Da admitted to fishing with driftnets up to 5.6 miles in length.

Custody of the Run Da and its crew were transferred to PRC Coast Guard vessel 2301 in the Sea of Japan some 92 miles west of Japan, for escort to China to face prosecution. The PRC has jurisdiction for any enforcement actions taken on the vessel, master and owner.

Resolution 46/215, approved on December 20, 1991, established boarding procedures for law enforcement officials of either country to board and inspect US or Chinese-flagged vessels suspected of high seas driftnet fishing. The memorandum of understanding also established a shiprider program that allows Chinese fisheries enforcement officials to embark on US Coast Guard vessels or aircraft.

Luke Fanning Named to Succeed Larry Cotter as CEO of APICDA

Luke Fanning, chief financial officer for the Aleutian Pribilof Island Community Development Association (APICDA), will become the organization’s chief executive officer with the retirement of long time CEO Larry Cotter in July.

The announcement was made on June 26 by APICDA board of directors in the wake of a six-month search process.

Prior to joining APICDA, Fanning was the vice president and regional manager for First National Bank Alaska. He is a lifelong Alaskan whose seafood industry experience began in the 1990s when he crewed on a halibut longliner and salmon seiner. In his spare time, Fanning captains the 32-foot F/V Triton, gillnetting for salmon and longlining for halibut.

said the impact of Cotter’s work and unwavering commitment to the CDQ program will be felt for years to come within the region, state and industry.

APICDA is one of six western Alaska CDQ groups within a program that allocates a percentage of all Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands quotas for groundfish, halibut and crab. The CDQ program was established to provide economically disadvantaged coastal communities with an opportunity to improve economies based on the fishing industry. APICDA and its subsidiaries generate proceeds of their management of quotas of seafood to support the villages of Akutan, Atka, False Pass, Nelson Lagoon, Nikolski and St. George.

Find out more about APICA online at www.apicda.com.

Government Subsidizes Much of Global High Seas Fishing Industry

A study of fishing on the high seas – those marine waters beyond national jurisdiction –says most of these fisheries would be unprofitable at current rates without government subsidies.

The collaborative study published in the journal Science Advances in June was compiled by researchers from the National Geographic Society, the University of California Santa Barbara, Global Fishing Watch, the Sea Around Us project of the University of British Columbia, and the University of Western Australia.

They concluded that the global cost of fishing in the high seas ranged from between $6.2 and $8 billion in US dollars in 2014, while profits ranged from a loss of $364 million and a profit of $1.4 billion.

These fisheries on the high seas, which cover 64 percent of the ocean surface, are dominated by a small number of fishing countries, which reap most of the benefits of fishing in these waters.

The environmental impacts of fishing on the high seas are well studied, researchers said. Still, a high level of secrecy around distant water fishing had previously precluded reliable estimates of the economic costs and benefits of high seas fishing.

Newly compiled satellite data and machine learning have revealed a far more accurate picture of this fishing effort at the level of individual vessels, they said.

According to the lead author of the study, Enric Sala, National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence, these fleets continue to operate in the high seas because they receive government subsidies. “Without subsidies and the forced labor some of them are known for, fishing would be unprofitable in over half of the high seas fishing grounds,” Sala said.

Researchers used automatic identification systems and vessel monitoring systems to track individual behavior, fishing activity and other characteristics of 3,620 vessels in near-real time. They combined that information with global catch data from the University of British Columbia’s Sea Around Us project to determine effort expanded by the vessels, the size of their catch, and how much profit the catch generated.

They estimated that almost 10 million hours of fishing occur annually across 132 million square kilometers, or 57 percent, of the high seas. Fishing hot spots found near Peru, Argentina and Japan were dominated by Chinese, Taiwanese and South Korean squid fishing fleets. The study also found that beyond subsidies, unfair labor compensation or no compensation at all are key cost-reducing factors in long-distance fishing.

Murkowski Praised for Defense of Transboundary Rivers

Salmon Beyond Borders is offering kudos to Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, for her efforts to develop a water quality strategy for transboundary rivers in Southeast Alaska impacted by mining activities.

“Eighty percent of Southeast Alaska king salmon come from the transboundary Taku, Stikine and Unuk rivers, yet British Columbia is pushing “go” on more than a dozen mines in these watersheds,” said Salmon Beyond Borders Director Jill Weitz. “It’s imperative we have good, reliable science documenting the quality of these rivers so that we can hold the Canadian government accountable for downstream impacts to US resources,” Weitz said.

As chair of the Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations Committee, Murkowski recently announced a series of provisions within the fiscal year 2019 Interior Appropriations bill. They included increased funding of $1.5 million for transboundary river stream gauges, including a gauge along the Unuk River near Ketchikan, where Seabridge Gold’s proposed Kerr-Sulphurets-Mitchell project poses potential adverse impact to the river.

The provisions also directed the US Geological Survey to enter into a formal partnership with local tribes and other agencies to help develop a water quality strategy for transboundary rivers.

The fiscal year 2019 bill is now headed to the Senate floor or final consideration.

Study Identifies Chronic Health Risks in Commercial Harvesters

A newly released study on chronic health risks in commercial seafood harvesting in Cordova, Alaska, found a prevalence of hearing loss, upper extremity disorders and sleep apnea risk factors higher in the fishing industry workers than in the community’s general population.

Occupational factors including exposure to noise, upper extremity demands of gillnetting and long working hours while fishing exacerbate these chronic health issues.

Authors of the study said health promotion programs targeted toward these conditions may present opportunities for improving total worker health.

The research was conducted by Carly Eckert of the University of Washington School of Public Health, Torie Baker of the College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences at the University of Alaska, and Debra Cherry, an occupational health physician at the UW School of Medicine.

The study was carried out in the gillnetting fishery in the Copper River salmon fishery. Sixty-six fishermen participated in the pre-season survey and 38 in the mid-season one. Researchers said the overwhelming majority of participants were white males with an average age of 49, and that 70 percent of respondents were overweight or obese but considered their health to be good or better. They reported longer working hours, less sleep and less aerobic exercise during the fishing season.

Researchers said they characterized a small sample of gillnet fishermen in Alaska to better understand their chronic health risks. They noted that these harvesters are accustomed to episodic work in a cramped, pressured setting, which takes place on gillnetters that are 28 to 34 feet in length with little space for exercise.

Researchers also noted that compared to the general Alaskan population study participants reported less tobacco use, more frequent health maintenance visits to health professionals and higher rates of health insurance. They also said that the prevalence of overweight or obesity in their sample was consistent with that of the general adult population of Alaska.

Study results were published in the Journal of Agromedicine.

Too Early to Tell on Impact of Tariffs

While the US and China are in a war of words involving tariffs on billions of dollars in imports to each country, the seafood industry in the Pacific Northwest is still uncertain where the chips may fall.

“This is a huge deal,” says Garrett Evridge, an economist with the McDowell Group, a Juneau, Alaska based research and consulting services firm whose clients include the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (AMSI). “China is our most important trading partner. A lot of seafood harvested in Alaska is reprocessed and distributed globally.”

Still, Evridge said, “There is a lot of diplomacy happening behind the scenes that we are not aware of … and in terms of actual economic impact, it is too early to say.”

ASMI’s Executive Director, Alexa Tonkovich, said that the institute is working with other US seafood industry trade groups and its own China office to evaluate the situation. ASMI has been active in the Chinese marketplace for more than 20 years.

The National Fisheries Institute (NFI) also spoke out, saying that it is reviewing China’s announcement to determine its impact on US seafood exports. NFI President John Connelly said “We are deeply disappointed in these retaliatory tariffs. There is no connection between the products targeted by the US and the tariffs Beijing plans to impose on exported American seafood. It is not clear where these trade actions will ultimately lead; what is clear is that they will negatively impact American seafood jobs.”

Products that are covered by the tariffs include frozen Alaska Pollock, Pacific cod, humpies and sockeye salmon and herring. It is uncertain whether the tariff would include reprocessed fish.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said she is very concerned about the impact of the Chinese tariffs on Alaska’s economy.

“In 2017 alone, Alaskan seafood exports were worth $3.45 billion, and of that, nearly $1 billion was exported to China,” she explained. “It’s imperative that our seafood industry, one of the economic drivers of our state, has the ability to continue competitively exporting their products all over the world” Murkowski said she is urging Trump to work toward a trade policy with China “that protects these critical markets for our seafood industry.”

Commission Appoints Susewind to Head WDFW

The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission (WDFW), a citizen panel appointed by the governor, has chosen Kelly Susewind of Olympia as the new director of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, effective August 1, at an annual salary of $165,000.

His appointment came after the commission interviewed seven candidates in May and narrowed the field to three finalists, who were interviewed in mid-June.

Susewind has been employed at the Washington Department of Ecology since 1990 in several jobs. He served most recently as director of administrative services and environmental policy. He also worked for several years in the 1980s as a private sector environmental consultant.

Susewind holds a bachelor’s degree in geological engineering from Washington State University and an associate degree in engineering from Grays Harbor College in Aberdeen, Wash. He grew up in the Grays Harbor area.

The commission thanked Acting director Joe Stohr for his service in the wake of the resignation of former director Jim Unsworth in early February.

BBRSDA Selects Andy Wink as New Executive Director

Economist Andy Wink, who has analyzed Alaska’s seafood industry for nearly a decade, will come on board as executive director of the Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association (BBRSDA) on July 23.

When announcing his appointment, the BBRSDA said Wink’s past work with the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute and many other industry groups would benefit its mission and membership. His work will focus mainly on improving the quality and appreciation of Bristol Bay sockeye salmon in the marketplace.

A graduate of the University of Wisconsin LaCrosse, where he majored in economics and finance, Wink worked for the state of Alaska for seven years as a labor economist, seafood development specialist and investment officer. In 2010 he began working for the McDowell Group, a Juneau, Alaska based research and consulting firm, where he was the primary industry research analyst from 2012 through 2017 for Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute. Wink left McDowell in January to start his own business as an independent research contractor but has now joined the BBRSDA.

In addition to his work in the seafood industry, Wink has written economic impact studies on oil and gas projects in Africa, done education/training program analysis, administered a large seafood marketing grant program in Alaska, conducted investment research for a $30 billion plus fund, and contributed to local economic planning projects.

Copper River Still Closed to Commercial Salmon Fishing

The Copper River District on Alaska’s Prince William Sound remained closed to commercial fishing again this week, although open for subsistence fishing.

The only bright spot was the strength of the chum salmon run in the Coghill district, where the preliminary harvest estimate from a 36-hour opener on June 7 yielded 1,700 sockeyes and 48,200 chums, with 631 deliveries reported, according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G). The chums being caught in the Coghill district were averaging nine pounds.

Meanwhile, in western Alaska, commercial fishing with dip nets and beach seines was scheduled for a 12-hour opener from noon today through midnight and a 24-hour opener from noon on June 14 through noon on June 15.

Dip nets were required to assure escapement of king salmon to the Canadian border to comply with treaty obligations. Any Chinooks caught are required to be released immediately and recorded on fish tickets.

A directed commercial fishery for lingcod in Prince William Sound will open July 1 and will run through December 31 or earlier by emergency order. State fisheries officials reminds everyone that directed fishing for all groundfish species, including lingcod, is closed in waters within three nautical miles of two Steller sea lion rookeries within Prince William Sound, at Seal Rocks and Wooded Island.

In Norton Sound, the summer red king crab commercial fishery gets under way on June 24, with a guideline harvest level (GHL) of 290,282 pounds. Last year’s GHL for the Norton Sound fishery was 419,000 pounds.

BBEDC Backs Salmon Ballot Initiative

Bristol Bay Economic Development Corp. (BBEDC) has added its support to an initiative on Alaska’s 2018 general election ballot to update a 60-year-old law aimed at protecting salmon habitat.

“Critical salmon spawning and rearing habitat in Alaska, particularly the Bristol Bay region, face many threats, and protecting it for future generations is a major priority,” BBEDC’s directors said in a statement issued in Dillingham, Alaska, June 7.

The board has concluded that the current law falls short of protecting Alaska salmon and believes that this ballot initiative is the right step toward strengthening systems that not only support traditional life ways of Bristol Bay, but also support tens of thousands of Alaska’s jobs.

With the unanimous vote of support from its board, BBEDC joined many Bristol Bay tribes, the Bristol Bay Native Association and hundreds of Alaska owned businesses, commercial fishermen and organizations statewide in support of the Yes for Salmon ballot initiative.

BBEDC is one of six Western Alaska Community Development Quota entities organized under the CDQ program in 1992 to promote economic growth and opportunities within their region.

Backers of the initiative say the existing legal provision protecting salmon habitat is so ambiguous that it is vulnerable to political interference to allow pet projects to be permitted despite scientific research that shows such projects pose potential adverse impact to fish.

Meanwhile a coalition of other business and industry organization, Stand for Alaska, contends that the initiative poses a threat to Alaska jobs and communities and the Alaska way of life. Major contributors to Stand for Alaska include BP Alaska, Teck Alaska and ConocoPhillips Alaska.

The Yes for Salmon ballot initiative would update Title 16 of Alaska Statutes to give the state’s Department of Fish and Game authority to enforce scientific standards during the permitting process for development round salmon streams and allow Alaskans to voice their perspectives during the process.

The initiative itself makes no reference to specific resource development projects but is aimed at protecting fish habitat from potential adverse environmental impact from development of oil and gas and mining projects, including the proposed Pebble mine within the Bristol Bay watershed region.

Small Amounts of Water Make a Big Difference for Endangered Salmon

A University of California San Diego study says even small amounts of running water could mean the difference between life and death for juvenile coho salmon in coastal California streams.

The study, published in early June in the journal Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, shows that during dry periods less than a gallon of water per second was enough to keep pools interconnected, allowing young salmon to survive through the hot, dry summer months.

“The good news is that if we can get just a little bit of water back in these streams, we can make a really big difference,” said Marika Obedzinski, a California Sea Grant extension specialist. Obedzinski is the lead in a monitoring program for endangered coho salmon and steelhead in small streams of Sonoma County that flow into the Russian River.

Russian River coho salmon were listed as threatened in 1996, but despite efforts to improve habitat, the species hit crisis levels by the early 2000’s and became endangered in 2005 when scientists noted fewer than 10 fish returning to the Russian River annually to spawn. Local, state and federal agencies teamed up to start a conservation hatchery program to breed and release the fish. The Sea Grant monitoring program was set up to track the success of the hatchery releases and to better understand factors that were preventing recovery of the species. Researchers found that low streamflow in summer is one of the biggest blockers to coho recovery.

“After the hatchery fish are released, we see them migrating out to the ocean and coming back as adults to spawn,” Obedzinski said. “We even see their offspring in creeks in the early summer, but by late summer the creeks dry out, the young salmon die, and the next generation is not surviving.”

Water is a limited resource in central California, an area impacted by population growth, development and climate change. While intermittent streams may overflow their banks in wet winter months, they may dwindle to a trickle or dry up in sections during the summer.

The new study offers a clearer link between salmon survival and water flow rates in Russian River tributaries, which could be useful for resource agencies and organizations working on salmon recovery, and land owners who want to help restore endangered salmon populations.

House Oceans Caucus Urges More Understanding of Ocean Stressors

Co-chairs Suzanne Bonamici, D- Oregon and Don Young, R-Alaska of the House Oceans Committee say environmental stressors impacting oceans threaten the economy and the livelihood of millions of people.

These stressors, they said, include harmful algal blooms and hypoxia, marine debris, warming and more acidic ocean waters, overfishing and rising sea levels.

The recent World Oceans Day served as a reminder that regardless of where people live or their political affiliation, they must remain committed to protect, conserve, maintain and rebuild ocean resources.

Research emerging in Alaska indicates that ocean acidification could have devastating effects on commercially valuable red king crab and Tanner crab populations, they said. Across the country consumers, groceries and the restaurant industry will be affected by changes in ocean chemistry when stable supplies of seafood and shellfish are threatened.

Bonamici and Young said they support funding for the Sea Grant program and are advocating for programs to help rebuild commercial and recreational fisheries and recovery of Pacific wild salmon and steelhead stocks. They are also working on legislation to expand scientific research and monitoring to improve understanding of ocean acidification.

These efforts, they said, will help vulnerable communities and industries to understand, prepare for and, where possible, adapt to changing ocean conditions.

Second Annual Bristol Bay Fish Expo Kicks Off June 8

The second annual Bristol Bay Fish Expo begins June 8 in Naknek, Alaska, complete with a trade show, fashion show, auction, speed-hiring and an Alaska gubernatorial debate focused on rural issues, including the state’s fisheries.

The trade show, featuring 55 vendors, is designed for those offering products and services along the supply chain to be featured at a one-stop shop for the industry.

The vendor list includes Boats & Permits, Pacific Boat Brokers, Alaska General Seafoods, Trident Seafoods, Leader Creek Seafoods, Alaska Marine Lines, PenAir, NOMAR, Grundens, Kodiak Fish Co., Cummins, ZF Marine, Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) and the Bristol Bay Economic Development Corporation (BBEDC) The BBEDC, the Wild Salmon Center, ASMI and the Alaska Department of Natural Resources are also scheduled for presentations.

The featured keynote speaker will be historian Katherine Ringsmuth, who teaches world, US and Alaska history at the University of Alaska Anchorage. Her current work includes a project to capture the history and stories tied to the 128-year-old Cannery at Naknek. For more information on the project visit https://nncanneryproject.com

The Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association (BBRSDA) will be holding its member and board of directors meeting at Naknek during the fish expo, with a booth at the event on June 8. During its member meeting for Bristol Bay’s gillnet fleet, there will be presentations from Rising Tide Communications, the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute and Andy Wink of Wink Research & Consulting, who will present the June 2018 Bristol Bay Sockeye Market Report. The next day, there will be a BBRSDA sponsored buyers panel, where harvesters and others can hear directly from commercial seafood buyers who source, purchase, distribute and market Bristol Bay salmon in regional and national markets.

The two-day event is a fundraiser for Little Angels Childcare Academy, which offers early education and childcare to the economic and social benefit of this fisheries community.

More information is Bristol Bay Fish Expo is online at www.bristolbayfishexpo.com

Inshore Processing Contributes Millions to Economy

A new study by the McDowell Group concludes that the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands (BSAI) inshore processing sector packed a $1.56 billion punch into the Alaska economy in 2016.

Key findings of the study, prepared for Icicle Seafoods, Peter Pan Seafoods, Trident Seafoods, UniSea, Westward Seafoods and Alyeska Seafoods, include efforts of these processors that contributed millions of dollars to Alaska’s economy through several thousand jobs, the purchase of goods and services, payment of state and local taxes and investment in capital improvements.

Data sources for the study came from the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Alaska Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, and Alaska Fisheries Information Network.

Researchers found that the BSAI inshore sector accounted for about 28 percent of Alaska’s total first wholesale volume of some 2.7 billion pounds and 26 percent of the total Alaska first wholesale value of nearly $4.2 billion.

Inshore processing accounted for a monthly average of 3,750 jobs in the BSAI region, with total annual wages of $194 million. The workforce included some 1,400 Alaskans who earned $48 million in wages and directly accounted for more than 40 percent of all local resident employment in the region. When including multiplier effects, BSAI inshore processing accounted for 2,627 Alaska resident jobs and $112 million in Alaska resident wages.

Shoreside processors in the BSAI spent $220 million in 2016, including shipping, fuel, construction, air transport and utilities. They also paid more than $32.7 million to state and local communities in the form of fisheries taxes, comprising 56 percent of all fish taxes paid in Alaska. Local fish taxes paid to BSAI communities represented 25 percent to 70 percent of operating revenue. Property and sales tax revenues are also important to these communities.

These inshore processors also made capital improvements from 2015 to 2017 totaling $175 million. Investments included expanding capacity to process and add value to Pacific cod, increased capacity for surimi production, dock improvements, increased freezer capacity, land purchases, and other projects.

Total first wholesale value of some 745 million pounds of seafood products processed by the BSAI inshore sector were valued at $1.1 billion, with Pollock products contributing 78 percent of the volume and 53 percent of the first wholesale value.

Pacific cod products and opilio/tanner crab products contributed 12 and five percent respectively in volume, with Pacific cod products bringing in 14 percent of first wholesale value. Low volume and high value opilio/tanner and king crab accounted for 16 and 11 percent respectively of total value.

The full report is available online at http://www.mcdowellgroup.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/mcdowell-group-final-bsai-inshore-processing-economic-impact-study-5.21.2018.pdf

Cantwell Offers Input on Proposed Pebble Mine

Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-WA, is calling for expansion of the latest public comment period to the proposed Pebble mine to include Washington state fishermen, shipbuilders, sportsmen, small businesses and other stakeholders.

Cantwell noted in a letter to the US Army Corps of Engineers on May 31 that in addition to the 90-day public comment period for the scoping process, the Corps had only nine public scoping meetings, all in Alaska. “This expedited process is grossly insufficient and does not allow my constituents the opportunity to participate in the permitting process in person,” she said. “Washington fishermen, suppliers and businesses have an enormous interest in ensuring that Bristol Bay salmon continue to thrive for generations.”

They have built an economy around this one-of-a-kind sustainable fishery and they “deserve a seat at the table as the Army Corps considers the proposed Pebble mine,” said Cantwell. “The stakes are too high to leave out these important voices,” for a fishery that includes thousands of jobs in Washington state.

“In addition to commercial fisheries, private anglers take an estimated 37,000 fishing trips every year to Bristol Bay, generating $60 million in economic activity and supporting another 850 full and part time jobs.”

Cantwell said the proposed mine threatens to irreparably harm the Bristol Bay watershed, the 40-60 million salmon that return there every year, and the fishermen and industries that rely on these salmon.

A three-year study by the US Environmental Protection Agency released in 2014 found that the mine as proposed would, even during normal, safe mine operations, destroy 24 to 94 miles of pristine waterways and salmon habitat and contaminate an additional 48-62 miles of streams with toxic mine waste.

Bristol Bay Sockeye Market Report Offers Outlook on the 2018 Fishery

The spring edition of the Bristol Bay Sockeye Market Report predicts a commercial harvest of 27.6 million sockeye salmon, similar to harvests of each of the past three seasons. “Projected harvest in the Nushagak district are particularly large,” said Andy Wink of Wink Research & Consulting. The report was prepared for the Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association.

Wink noted that global sockeye supply is projected to increase by about seven percent this year, due to a larger run of Fraser River sockeyes in western Canada. Many Fraser River salmon who were subjected to the impact of the 2014 Mount Polley mine disaster will be returning this year as adults.

“The shift towards frozen and fresh products has intensified over the past two years,” Wink noted. “Despite a large harvest last season, canned sockeye production in the Bay was the lowest since 1998 and only three companies operated canning lines in 2017” he said.

Wink’s report also notes that currency fluctuations have been generally favorable for Bristol Bay salmon producers for the past year, with the US dollar index weakening by five percent.

Shortages in processing labor and a large run resulted in many fishermen being put on limits last year. With another large harvest expected, the number of processing workers will be key to determining seasonal performance for both fishermen and processors.

The report also mentions that Bristol Bay fishermen chilled 73 percent of their catch. Improved quality has brought increasing average prices and better sales performance.

The current market for Bristol Bay drifnet gillnet salmon permits is about $150,000 per permit. This is relatively high compared to the past 20 years. Average gross earnings per permit were outstanding last year and expected to be strong again this year.

The complete report is available online at https://gallery.mailchimp.com/4996590c5577f14c1b17862a1/files/4414dd9a-a535-45f5-8c4a-df54acc6deaa/2018_Spring_BBRSDA_Sockeye_Market_Report_Final_Color.pdf