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Bristol Bay’s sockeye run surpasses forecast, but fishermen face low prices, according to the 2024 preliminary report

Sockeye Salmon during the 2024 salmon run
Margaret Sutherland
/
KDLG
Sockeye Salmon in the Wood River Watershed

The Bristol Bay sockeye run came in above forecast this year, despite Alaska’s salmon harvest facing overall statewide declines. However, the region’s ex-vessel value, or the price paid to fishermen, did not necessarily reflect the large sockeye harvest. That's according to the 2024 Bristol Bay preliminary season summary the Alaska Department of Fish and Game released earlier this year.

The total sockeye run in the Bristol Bay region was 51.6 million fish. That’s 36 percent above the preseason forecast and 7 percent higher than the 20-year average. This marked the tenth consecutive year Bristol Bay’s sockeye run exceeded 50 million fish.

Of that number, Bristol Bay fishermen harvested 31.6 million fish, which also exceeded the preseason forecast by 26 percent. Though the harvest was slightly below the 20-year average.

Escapement goals for sockeye were met or exceeded across all major river systems in Bristol Bay.

Despite the solid run and harvest in Bristol Bay, the economic picture was not entirely rosy. Prices paid to fishermen were 34 percent below the 20-year average. Preliminary price averages for sockeye were just $0.89 per pound, lower than in past years. Fish and Games preliminary report points to a variety of tough market conditions.

In a phone call last week, Fish and Game area management Biologist, Tim Sands, equated part of the lack of correlation between fish harvest numbers and fiscal value to the fish themselves. This season's sockeye were smaller than usual. The average weight of a sockeye was 4.53 pounds – the lowest on record.

Chinook salmon harvest and abundance remained low, with 6,895 caught in 2024 —82 percent below the 20-year average. The Nushagak District enforced triggers that delayed sockeye salmon fishing to allow for more chinook escapement. Despite this, escapement goals still went unmet.

Chum salmon harvests, while the highest in five years, were only half the 20-year average. Meanwhile, coho salmon harvests were down 70 percent. Fish and Game’s report equates that, in part, to weather disruptions and weak market demand which curtailed fishing efforts. Just over 76,000 pink salmon were caught incidentally during sockeye fishing.

Margaret Sutherland is a local reporter and host at KDLG, Dillingham's NPR member station. Margaret graduated from College of Charleston with a degree in English, and went on to attend the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies in Radio and Podcasting. She is passionate about the power of storytelling and creating rich soundscapes for the listener's ears to enjoy.