The preliminary end-of-season estimates of commercial harvest and value for 2005 shows that 206.1 million salmon swam into the nets of commercial fishermen, about 26 million fish more than the pre-season forecast, and well over the 10-year average of 167 million fish.
This is only the third year since 1960 that the harvest has exceeded 200 million fish. In 1995 the catch was 217.8 million fish, which was followed by another big year in 1997 when 216.8 million salmon were caught.
Prices paid to fishermen also were up from 2004, with an ex-vessel value increase of $23 million, coming in at $295.3 million, slightly more than the most recent 10-year average of $294.4 million.
Preliminary estimates of the statewide average prices for chinook, coho, pink, and chum salmon are similar to last year’s ex-vessel prices. Sockeye salmon prices increased from $0.60 per pound in 2004 to $0.71 per pound in 2005, although Cook Inlet salmon fishermen received around $0.95 for their sockeyes. Final 2005 prices for all salmon species may be higher after post-season adjustments and end-of-season bonuses are paid to fishermen.
Cook Inlet saw a catch slightly higher than last year, with 5.36 million sockeye harvested, compared to 5 million in 2004. The ex-vessel value jumped considerably, though, from $21.6 million in 2004 to $30.5 million this year.
Bristol Bay’s sockeye salmon harvest of 24.5 million fish was 1.76 million fish less than last year’s harvest, but only slightly below the preseason forecast of 25.6 million fish. The ex-vessel value of $91.3 million was nearly $15 million more than the 2004 Bristol Bay sockeye salmon value.
The statewide pink salmon harvest of nearly 147 million fish was the largest on record, with an estimated total value of $52.5 million, above the most recent 10-year average of $46.1 million. The Kodiak fishery harvested nearly 30 million pink salmon, about 8.53 million more fish than last year’s harvest. Prince William Sound’s pink salmon catch of 45.5 million fish was a record harvest.
The Norton Sound coho salmon harvest of 85,000 fish ranks as the fourth best of all time, and the 2005 Norton Sound commercial salmon fishery was a marked improvement over recent years.
Details on the numbers and pounds of fish, average fish weight, average price per pound, and ex-vessel value for each of the salmon species, by area as well as statewide, can be found on the ADF&G website at http://www.cf. adfg.state.ak.us/.
The Kodiak Island bairdi Tanner crab fishery will see a quota increase when pots hit the water this January, while Chignik will see a 50 percent decrease from last year. The season opens in all areas on Jan. 15.
Kodiak will have a combined quota of 2.1 million pounds for all areas, up from 1.75 million in 2005 and 1.3 million in 2004. This Guideline Harvest Level is the largest since the fishery re-opened in 2001, but is anticipated to decline in subsequent years due to lower stock recruitment. The increase in quota this season also means an increased pot limit, from 20 pots in 2005 to 30 pots this season.
Kodiak crab fishermen essentially stood down for six weeks in 2005 due to low prices offered for Tanner crab, finishing out the pot cod season before finally going crab fishing in March. No price information is available for the 2006 season.
The Chignik district opened last season with a GHL of 400,000 pounds after being shut down since 1988, but will see a harvest of only 200,000 pounds in 2006. Due to the low GHL and decline in population abundance, this fishery will be monitored closely and could be shut down on short notice or before the GHL is reached if fishery performance declines or if exploitation rates reach estimates obtained from the survey.
The Southern Alaska Peninsula is divided into two parts, East and West, with the dividing line at 162 degrees west longitude. The eastern section will be closed for the 2006 season, while the western district will have a GHL of 290,000 pounds.
For more information on the bairdi Tanner crab fisheries in Kodiak, Chignik, and the Southern Peninsula, contact ADF&G in Kodiak at (907) 486-1840.
Christy Fry has commercial fished in Homer since 1978 and also has designed and built gear for the industry. She currently longlines for halibut and sablefish and gillnets salmon in upper Cook Inlet aboard the F/V Realist.
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