Alaska fish processors overwhelmed by flood of sockeye salmon
Published Friday, July 4, 2008
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Stumble It!ANCHORAGE -- There's such a huge run of sockeye salmon in Bristol Bay that processing companies can't keep up with the bounty.
Many gillnetters are upset that processors are buying only limited catches, or suspending purchases altogether.
Cora Crome, fisheries adviser to Gov. Sarah Palin, said she has taken numerous calls from fishermen. She said they're angry at the buyers and state officials who had expected processors likely could handle this year's run, based on an industry survey.
The fishermen say they're especially upset because the same thing happened last year.
Processors and state officials say a variety of reasons are behind the cannery crunch. But they say they expect the problem will soon sort itself out.
Bristol Bay accounts for more than a quarter of the total value of Alaska's salmon catch in most years. The catch of 29.8 million sockeye last year was worth $116 million at the docks.
State biologists have predicted a haul of 31.4 million fish this season, with the monthlong run traditionally peaking in early July.
The numbers at Bristol Bay stands in contrast to weak salmon runs elsewhere, including the Copper and Yukon rivers.
Bristol Bay gillnetters were fuming that processors limited or suspended their buying days before the peak of the run.
"It's disappointing," said David Harsila. "We're just getting started and we're already on suspensions."
Processors didn't have much choice. The fishing fleet bagged 2.6 million fish on Wednesday. That haul followed three days of catches exceeding 1 million fish.
The huge hauls overwhelmed thousands of workers who clean, freeze and can the salmon in plants in Naknek, Dillingham and other ports around the bay.
Processors and state fishery managers say the great challenge is Bristol Bay's unpredictable runs. Processors say they have to be ready for a big run but can't overspend on plant workers and supplies.
"We're faced with huge risks every time we come up here," said Al Chaffee, whose Seattle-based company, Yardarm Knot Inc., runs a major cannery in Naknek. "You gear up for what you reasonably expect."
Community Discussion
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As a former Bristol Bay fisher, the Governor is aware of how frustrating it is to see the processors put our fishers on limit.
Well, they are on limit again and our fishers are losing hundreds
of thousands of dollars a day.
I believe that they would have a legal case to ask for compensatory damages from the state for failing to adequately plan for such a circumstance Bristol Bay finds itself in this season. This is virtually an annual occurence and it needs to be remedied to prevent this from happening in the future.
We need foreign processors in Bristol Bay as soon as possible.
I don't know about the State compensating Bristol Bay fisherman because they are catching more fish than they can sell. Who's fault is that really?
Kinda funny isn't it?Just whose pocket is being stuffed?Gas here is $3.91 a gallon.[7/4/08]No refinery round here.Our market is filled with farm raised South American Salmon...cheap.Just what harm would be done allowing a foreign processor to sit there and buy these salmon?
Actually, I'd think the state's failure to bring adequate transportation options to most rural Alaskans ought to claim some of the blame. Also, locals have a share of that blame, many of whom now are interested in roads to their communities. It's a shame the state has failed its responsibility to adequately address transportation options in rural Alaska.
The State would rather waste multiple millions on rebuilding Illinois Street which has kept engineers employed for a lifetime on a project nobody wants than push a road fifty miles toward Tanana or McGrath.
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