Article Category: Bristol Bay-Bering Sea Report

While one commercial fishery in the Bristol Bay and Bering Sea area is coming off a record-breaking year, another didn’t even open this year due to lack of interest. As the largest sockeye salmon producing region in Alaska, Bristol Bay exceeded historic benchmarks with record-breaking inshore numbers reported in 2022. Following the hefty stock last year, the total run for 2023 is predicted to be smaller, but still strong. The outlook for the Togiak herring fishery is also robust, but the purchasing market is floundering. Fish processors indicated earlier this year that they did not intend to harvest herring in Togiak in 2023, so there will be no commercial fishery this spring, according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADFG). This is the first time in several decades that To...

Markets are on the upswing, with potential for continuing growth, for Bristol Bay sockeye salmon and Alaska Pollock harvested in the Bering Sea. The two versatile, sustainable, protein packed wild-caught fish are popular with retail shoppers and diners from fast-food to fine dining restaurants. Industry economists and marketers credit a combination of influences for the growth, ranging from the impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic to increased consumer understanding of how both species can easily be prepared at home, for a variety of hot and cold, simple and elegant meals. This is due to an ongoing educational campaign to bring more wild Alaska seafood to the center of the plate. At the same time, more people dining out as the pandemic wanes in some areas of the country are choosing ...