The 2022 Bristol Bay Forecast is for 75.27 million sockeyes of which 61.82 million can be harvested. This is an excellent harvest projection and is great news for deckhands working in Bristol Bay this summer. This projected sockeye run is 44% larger than the most recent 10-year average!

Year-End Overview of the 2021 Alaska Salmon Season – https://www.nationalfisherman.com/alaska/alaska-salmon-harvest-sales-and-prices-rose-despite-covid-19-challenges

This year’s robust wild Alaskan salmon 206.9 million fish harvest has an estimated preliminary ex-vessel value of $647.6 million.

Statisticians at the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) calculated the totals, which amount to a 10 percent increase over the 2018’s value of $595.2 million

Read the full article – https://fnonlinenews.blogspot.com/2019/11/alaskas-2069-million-salmon-harvest.html

The 2020 Bristol Bay sockeye salmon forecast, issued on Nov. 8, anticipates a total run of 48.95 million fish, which would allow for a potential harvest of 34.56 million. Those figures are higher than this past season 26.11 million fish forecast but lower than the actual 44.5 million harvest.

Should the 2020 run come in as anticipated, it will be 6 percent larger than the most recent 10-year average of Bristol Bay total runs (45.9 million) and 29 percent greater than the long-term (1963-2019) average of 34.6 million fish.

Read the full article – http://fnonlinenews.blogspot.com/2019/11/2020-bristol-bay-harvest-forecast-set.html

2015 Was A Very Safe Year for the Alaska Fishing Industry

With the continued emphasis on safety in the Alaska fishing industry, the industry saw one of its “safest” years of all time.

When the Commercial Fishing Industry Vessel Safety Act of 1988 was implemented between 1990-and 1995, things like immersion suits and life rafts became required equipment and safety drills and first aid training were required for crewmembers.

In addition, on Oct. 15, 2015, dockside exams became mandatory for all commercial vessels fishing beyond three miles from shore.

There has also been ongoing training by the Alaska Marine Safety Education Association that has also made a difference.

Learn more – http://fnonlinenews.blogspot.com/2016/01/2015-safe-year-for-ak-commercial.html

Here is a cool video posted by Alaska Sightseeing tour boat captain Andrew Harpster when he was on a sightseeing trip out of Juneau, Alaska.  This is just an example of some of the incredibly cool things you can see in person while working in Alaska.

Hungry sperm and killer whales have been feasting on black cod while they are hooked on the lines of the Alaska longline fleet, making it an easy meal but frustrating fishermen. So the Feds recently approved the use of black-cod pots (like a big crab pot) to protect the fishermen’s harvest. –  http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/environment/feds-approve-cod-pots-to-outsmart-opportunistic-whales/