Early prices to Alaska salmon fishermen are trickling in and, as anticipated, they are up across the board. That will give a nice boost to the economic base of fishing communities and the state from fish taxes, fees and other assessments.
About one-third (62 million) of Alaska’s projected catch of 190 million salmon had crossed the docks by July 16 at the halfway point of the fishing season.
Prices paid to fishermen vary based on buyers, gear types and regions, and bonuses and post-season pay adjustments won’t be finalized until early next year.
Here’s an early snapshot of average base prices from major processors at this point in the season:
At Bristol Bay, OBI Seafoods has upped the price paid to fishermen to $1.25 per pound, topping the $1.10 per pound that Peter Pan posted before the start of the season, up from $0.70 last year.
Kodiak fishermen were getting $1.45 to $1.50 for sockeyes, and $1.75 in Southeast.
That compares to a statewide average of just $0.76 a pound for sockeye salmon last year. A 2021 catch of 46.6 million sockeyes is expected for Alaska; the total so far has topped 44 million.
Pink salmon were averaging $0.35 cents a pound for fishermen. An Alaska harvest of 124.2 million pinks is expected this summer, nearly 49% higher than last year. The statewide pink salmon price in 2020 averaged $0.30 cents a pound.
Chums were averaging $0.50 per pound for Kodiak fishermen, twice last year’s price, and $0.85 at Southeast, compared to $0.45. The average chum price in 2020 was $0.43 cents a pound.
According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, troll-caught kings at Southeast were averaging $6.73 a pound, compared to a statewide average of $5.07 last year. With average weights at 11 pounds, each chinook was again worth more than one barrel of Alaska crude oil ($74.03 vs.73.48 as of July 16).
Coho salmon catches will begin adding up in August, but troll-caught silvers at Southeast were paying fishermen a whopping $2.50 per pound for all sizes. That compares to $1.74 in the Panhandle last year and a statewide average for silvers at $1.17.
Smaller sockeyes
The run of sockeye salmon returning home to Bristol Bay could set a record at 66 million fish. The catch has topped 36 million, but the reds are smaller than in past years.
The average size this summer is 4.5 pounds, compared to 5.1 pounds last year, said Dan Lesh with McKinley Research Group. Still, the sockeyes are heading into an eager market.
“Supply is low and there is strong demand for premium seafoods across the board,” he said. “People have more money and spending at food service is at pre-pandemic levels.”
Bristol Bay reds aren’t the only ones shrinking.
Chinook size has declined the most at 8%; 3.3% for cohos; 2.4% for chum salmon; and a 2.1% shrinkage in sockeyes overall.
That’s based on 60 years of measurements from 12.5 million Alaska salmon, excluding pinks, by Nature Communications that compared average body lengths before 1990 and after 2010.
Sleeping at sea, or not
Finding time to sleep is one of the biggest challenges during a fishing trip, especially during limited openers. The pressure to bait and pull pots or lines and handle nets can be unrelenting.
“The less you sleep, the more money you make in some sense. That’s a really hard thing to overcome. Because everybody wants to make more money,” said Jerry Dzugan, director of the Alaska Marine Safety Education Association at Sitka.
Sleep deprivation leads to more accidents and worsens physical performance, he told public radio station KDLL in Kenai
“The military alone has done volumes on this because of performance of personnel in the military. But not much has been done in the commercial fishing industry. And I think that’s the big thing,” he said. “I don’t think I’ve had one person tell me it’s not a problem.”
The safety program has partnered with national organizations for a two-year project with 200 randomly selected fishermen in Alaska, Oregon and the Northeast. The group will track and hear fishermen’s concerns about their sleep patterns and possible effects on their safety and health.
Funding comes from the U.S. Coast Guard and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).
NIOSH spokesperson Julie Sorensen told National Fisherman that fishermen have said they wonder how sleep deprivation will affect their cognitive ability as they get older. Many are curious about energy drinks, naps, diet, and other sleep disrupters.
Find links to the project called “Assessments of Sleep Deprivation and Associated Health and Cognitive Impacts in Commercial Fishermen” at http://www.necenter.org/
Expo is back
Pacific Marine Expo is back in person after COVID-19 forced it to cancel last year. Now in its 55th year, the trade show is set for Nov. 18-20 at the Lumen Field Event Center in Seattle.
Expo is on track to host about 500 vendors, said Bob Callahan, vice president of Diversified Communications Group and Expo director.
This year’s Expo has another good lure.
“This year is a bonus because the Seahawks play on Sunday, the day after the show closes,” Callahan said. “They play the Cardinals. We’ll be giving out Seahawks tickets over the three days.” http://www.pacificmarineexpo.com
At the grocery store
U.S. fresh, frozen, and shelf-stable seafood sales reached $585 million in June. That was a 5.3% drop from 2020, but sales are up nearly 44% compared to June 2019, reported SeafoodSource.
The survey is finding “increases in household penetration, trips and spend per trip,” 210 Analytics Principal Anne-Marie Roerink said.
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