Fishermen, seafood processors, small-business owners and others from across the country gathered in Seattle last month (Nov. 19) for this year’s Pacific Marine Expo.
Among the more than 350 exhibitors that filled Lumen Field, Alaska's fisheries loomed large—and Bristol Bay showed up in full force.
Inside what is called the Alaska Hall at Seattle’s Lumen Field, attendees mill between booths, collecting information, making purchases and swapping business cards and stories while catching up during the offseason.
Alaska Net is a Dillingham-based business that sells nets and hydraulics to fishermen across the state. It’s positioned front and center at the entrance of the hall.
Owner Liz Sparks, a second-generation operator, first came to the expo with her dad in the late 90s. She took over the family business about five years ago and says the annual event remains one of her favorites.
“We get a lot out of it, just the connection with everybody. Getting to see our customers in the off-season,” Sparks said. “I really enjoy getting to see our customers with their families. When they come through the expo, we get to meet everyone. It's pretty fun.”
Behind Sparks, sample nets in various mesh sizes and colors hang on the booth wall, each suited for different fishing styles and operations.
During the busy summer season in Bristol Bay, Sparks sees many of her local customers in person. But the expo gives her the chance to reconnect with other customers.
Sparks says the new tariffs on imported goods are top of mind going into next season. Alaska Net sources its web from Japan. In September, the Trump administration imposed a baseline 15% tariff on nearly all Japanese imports.
Sparks says the tariffs will inevitably force prices up, but she says she has been talking with fishermen about how to keep their individual costs down.
“We are trying really hard to keep them [costs] down,” Sparks said. “And really, our intention with that is the fisherman has come off of a couple of hard years. The price of their fish has not gone up relative to the cost that they have incurred with increasing costs.”
The economics of the bay this year were stronger than in the past several years. According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game's season summary, the total value of the sockeye sold by fishermen this summer was $215.3 million, up slightly from last year and just above the 20-year average.
That is the talk of the expo, too. The marketing group, Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association, works to market salmon in stores and restaurants across the country.
Lilani Dunn is the group’s executive director and is at one of the expo booths this year. She says the organization is working to keep prices up through strong marketing and good product quality.
“Leading into 2026, we have really solid and healthy demand,” Dunn said. “It was a really good harvest year and what we want to do for 2026 is continue that momentum.”
Beyond business and banking, the expo also buzzes with talk about next month's Board of Fisheries meeting for the Bristol Bay watershed.
Luke Peterson is the president of the Bristol Bay Fishermen's Association and will attend the Board of Fisheries meeting to lobby for commercial fishermen. He says he is gauging fishermen's positions on the 62 proposals up for board consideration.
“That is one of the main reasons I am here at the expo—to get membership input,” Kern said.
He says the turnout from Bristol Bay fishermen is larger than he has seen in recent years, and he attributes that to a better fishing season last summer.
“This expo has been really great. There have been a lot more people than in the last two years, so we feel like the general trend in Bristol Bay and in fisheries is going back up,” Kern said. “I am excited that the price is moving up again. I am hoping that next year we will be over $2. I am excited for this upcoming season.”
This year’s expo also included educational events such as daily vessel stability workshops put on by the Alaska Marine Safety Education Association and panel discussions on topics ranging from Alaska fisheries data to the transition to electric vessels and shoreline infrastructure, to name a few.
The expo wrapped up after three days, when the more than 5,000 attendees returned to their various home ports across the state and the country to prepare for their upcoming seasons.
In Bristol Bay, fishermen will start gathering in the spring for another season on the water.
