Statistics About Alaska Commerical Salmon Fishery
In Alaska, salmon come first. Alaska has a long and successful track record of handling and preserving its abundant salmon resources. Record salmon runs with an average annual catch of 165 million salmon is the proof of this successful approach.
Nearly 95% of all commercially caught salmon in the States are harvested in Alaska. Alaska is the top producer of wild, high-value salmon, producing nearly 80 % of the planet supply of king, commercial salmon fishery is critical to the Alaskan economy and the Alaskan way of life.
Each year, the salmon industry provides thousands of jobs and many millions of greenbacks to the state’s economy. Commercial fishing is urgent 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 2nd only to the oil industry in providing income to the state. In 2002, the exvessel price for combined fisheries totaled $955 million with $162 million from salmon.
Salmon fishing allows are given out to individuals, not firms, thru the “limited entry permit system”. The total number of available authorizes for each fishery is strictly limited. Fishermen may not own more than one salmon permit for the same gear type and area. This creates a fishery made from many people and families.
Three main gear types catch Alaska salmon: trolling, gillnetting, and purse seining. All commercial salmon fishing boats are comparatively tiny vessels ; averaging 30 to fifty feet.
Trollers use long trolling poles to drag or troll two to 4 deep weighted lines thru the water, each with 8 – twelve leaders attached. At the end of each leader there is a lure or baited hook. Boat size varies from little skiffs to vessels of 50 feet or more with most ranging between twenty-five to forty feet.
Trollers basically 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 ocean waters. They are regularly
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 change in length from 9 hundred to 1800 feet long. The net’s mesh openings are just big sufficient to allow an adult fish head to get through and become trapped 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 30 to forty feet. Gillnetters primarily harvest sockeye, mate and coho.
Purse Seiners use 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 boat through a highpowered hydraulic block.
Purse seiners are not allowed north of the Alaska Peninsula; boat size is limited to 58 feet. Purse Seiners harvest mainly pink salmon near the coast and close to fresh water spawning grounds where runs are highly concentrated.
To get more recipes and cooking ideas, visit cooking101.org and while you are at it, you might also want to have a look at baked salmon recipe.
