Jessie Sheldon
Fisheries ReportJessie Sheldon is a fisheries reporter for KDLG, which brings daily news reports throughout the summer to thousands of commercial fishermen in Bristol Bay. Previously, she worked as a Wilderness Research Fellow for the Society for Wilderness Stewardship in California’s Sierra Nevada, and has spent several summers working in Alaska, both on the water and in the recording studio. Jessie graduated from Colorado College with a degree in Environmental Science. She’s passionate about marine ecosystems, connection through storytelling, and all things fishy.
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A long-time Bristol Bay fisherman has developed an app to give fishermen more up–to-date navigation options. -
The baywide catch on Tuesday was 1.2 million. After a fire on the Hannah, Northline has finally completed repairs and is back up to full capacity. A new mapping app is helping fishermen steer clear hazards. Plus, fish season means bear season, and climate specialist Rick Thoman says to expect good weather ahead. -
Fleets on Sunday brought in 1.5 million fish, with numbers continuing to come in across the districts. A fisherman passed away in the Kvichak due to a gear entanglement. We received an update from the Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development on marketing efforts to promote Bristol Bay sockeye. -
The baywide catch yesterday topped a million for the first time this season, with a haul of 1.6 million fish. Nushagak fleets brought in about a third of those fish, followed by fleets in the Naknek/Kvichak and Egegik. Test fishery crews say they expect a push of Nushagak fish today and tomorrow with Kvichak fish to follow. Almost two thirds of the fish caught at Port Moller this season have been caught in the smaller mesh size, indicating smaller fish. That trend of smaller fish is expected to continue this season. -
An electrical fire damaged one of three spiral freezers aboard the Hannah on Sunday, June 30, 2024. That’s Northline Seafoods’ new floating processor, which is anchored in Bristol Bay’s Nushagak district this salmon season. The vessel is currently operating at a reduced capacity, and other processors are taking on some of Northline’s fleet. -
The baywide catch yesterday was 860,000, with over half of those fish coming from the Nushagak district. Northline's floating processor experienced an electrical fire, severely damaging one of their spiral freezers. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game is limiting sport fishing for king salmon. We see how next week will look with another Weather Wednesday from Rick Thoman. -
The baywide catch yesterday fell slightly, with a haul of just under 880,000 fish across districts. Nushagak fleets brought in half of those fish, followed by fleets in the Naknek/Kvichak and Egegik. The mean catch index at Port Moller bounced back after yesterday’s catches, following a downward trend over the last five days. Test fishery crews also say that Kvichak fleets should expect a big influx of fish over the next few days.
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Fleets in the Nushagak made their biggest daily catch so far this season, bringing in 740,000 fish, and escapement at the Wood River counting tower and Nushagak River sonar is starting to slow down. Alaska State Troopers recovered the missing body of a Dillingham man. Kings caught by test fisheries go to Curyung elders. -
The bay-wide catch nearly doubled on Thursday, with daily catch numbers picking up across the board. The decision on whether to list Gulf of Alaska king salmon as an endangered species has been extended. We hear from a returning processor worker here in Bristol Bay. Plus, Cordova's fishing season opens. -
With blistering winds and stormy seas yesterday, the first commercial opening of the Nushagak was quite the event. Management biologists determined that a sufficient number of sockeye were on their way to the Nushagak sonar station to open up the district to commercial harvest. Nushagak fleets brought in nearly 248,000 fish. Port Moller’s test fishing yesterday had to come to a halt, with winds and weather preventing them from collecting samples at all stations except for one.
