Salmon harvest down from last year

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game has released preliminary data on state salmon harvests for 2020. Information for Southeast Alaska shows that only half as many fish were hauled in this year compared to last year.

2020 data shows that 14,301,964 salmon were harvested this year, totaling a little over 74 million pounds. The estimated ex vessel value for this harvest is about $50 million. This is a major decrease from 2019 numbers, reported at about 32 million fish, 163 million pounds, and almost $102 million in ex vessel value. This is a decrease of roughly 50 percent of value, 44 percent by numbers of fish.

For the entire state of Alaska, about 117 million fish, totaling about 518 million pounds, brought in an ex vessel value of about $295 million. In 2019, state numbers were a little less than 207 million fish, at 872 million pounds, for an ex vessel value of a little less than $658 million.

"When compared to the long-term time-series (1975-2019), the 2020 commercial salmon harvest of 116.8 million fish is the thirteenth lowest on record," a press release from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game reads. "In terms of pounds of fish, the all-species salmon harvest of 517.5 million pounds is the eighth lowest all-species salmon harvest recorded since 1975. Adjusted for inflation (CPI, 2020 prices), the 2020 ex vessel value estimate of $295.2 million is the lowest ex vessel value reported since 2006."

Mike Lockabey, a Wrangell fisherman, said that this year was one of the biggest fluctuations he's seen in 30 years of fishing. There were many factors for this, in his opinion. He said that the COVID-19 pandemic really hurt salmon prices by reducing demand. There was also a weak salmon run, he said, as well as poor management that impacted the number of fish able to be harvested.

"This was one of the ugliest seasons I've seen in a long time," Lockabey said. "COVID is responsible for a lot of it ... compounded by an exceptionally weak run and poor management.

Craig Evens, of Petersburg, agreed that it had been a bad season. With a low forecast, COVID-19, and the global political situation, the forecast turned out even worse than had been originally predicted.

"The uncertainty due to COVID kept prices low, and the trade war with China kept the markets depressed," Evens said. "Nobody's to blame, it was just a bad year."

The outlook amongst fishermen right now is rather bleak, Lockabey said. Nobody wants to try and predict how next season might go. This season is behind them, but it is hard to guess what the future might hold. Evens added that all they can do is hope next year is better. He also said that the cannery workers and the fishermen all deserve a shoutout for their hard work this season, dealing with uncertainties and doing their parts to keep everyone healthy and still be productive.

More information on the salmon harvest can be found online, at http://www.adfg.alaska.gov.