Statistics About Alaska Commerical Salmon Fishery

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In Alaska, salmon come first. Alaska has a long and successful track record of managing and conserving its abundant salmon resources. Record salmon runs with a recent average annual catch of 165 million salmon is the proof of this successful approach.

Nearly 95% of all commercially caught salmon in the US are cropped in Alaska. Alaska is the top producer of wild, high-value salmon, producing nearly 80 percent of the planet supply of king, commercial salmon fishery is essential to the Alaskan economy and the Alaskan way of life.

Each year, the salmon industry provides thousands of roles and many millions of greenbacks to the state’s economy. Commercial fishing is critical to communities and fishing
families throughout the state.

Alaska’s fishing industry leads the state in providing 47% of non-public sector jobs, and is second only to the oil industry in providing revenue to the state. In 2002, the exvessel price for combined fisheries totaled $955 million with $162 million from salmon.

Salmon fishing allows are issued to individuals, not firms, thru the “limited entry permit system”. The total number of available authorizes for each fishery is precisely limited. Fishermen may not own more than one salmon permit for the same gear type and area. This creates a fishery made of many individuals and families.

Three main gear types catch Alaska salmon : trolling, gillnetting, and purse seining. All commercial salmon fishing boats are relatively tiny vessels ; averaging 30 to 50 feet.

Trollers use long trolling poles to pull or troll 2 to 4 deep weighted lines thru the water, each with eight - 12 leaders attached. At the end of each leader there is a lure or baited hook. Ship size varies from little skiffs to vessels of fifty feet or more with most ranging between 25 to 40 feet.

Trollers primarily target king, coho, and pink salmon as they enter Alaskan waters on their way to the spawning grounds. Trollers catch a comparatively low volume of top quality fish. The fish they catch are bright and powerful from fresh sea waters. They are often
sold dressed, or filleted in the fresh or fresh frozen market.

Gillnetters set curtain-like nets in the water postponed from a float line at the surface and a weighted lead line along the submerged bottom edge. Nets alter in length from nine hundred to 1800 feet long. The net’s mesh openings are just huge sufficient to allow an adult fish head to get thru and become entangled at the gills.

There are 2 kinds of gillnets; driftnets that are free floating from boats, and setnets that have one end attached to the coast. Ship size is restricted to 32 feet or less in Bristol Bay ; otherwise, the average range is thirty to forty feet. Gillnetters primarily harvest sockeye, chum and coho.

Purse Seiners employ a large floating net, pulled and set in circle by a power skiff, to enclose schooling salmon. The weighted “purse line” at bottom of the net is drawn closed to contain the fish. The net full of fish is then gathered to the ship thru a highpowered hydraulic block.

Purse seiners are not allowed north of the Alaska Peninsula ; ship size is limited to 58 feet. Purse Seiners crop especially pink salmon close to the shoreline and close to fresh water spawning grounds where runs are highly concentrated.

For more information about food and useful cooking tips, check out cooking101.org and also have a look at easy baked salmon recipe.

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