Price update -- Peter Pan Seafoods bonuses
A quick update on what Peter Pan Seafoods is paying this year -- a media spokesperson said in an email that the company would pay $0.30 worth of bonuses on top of the $1.10 base price.
Board of Fish seat historically held by Bristol Bay resident still vacant after statutory deadline
A seat on the Board of Fish historically held by a Bristol Bay resident is still unfilled -- after the statutory deadline to fill it.
The Dunleavy administration appointed Anchorage resident Abe Williams to a three-year term on the board in the spring of 2020. Williams is from King Salmon and fishes commercially in Bristol Bay.
Williams began his time on the board last July. But the legislature voted against his confirmation, and Williams’ last day was May 11.
According to state statute, the governor must appoint a person to serve for the rest of the term within 30 days.
When asked whether the administration was considering a Bristol Bay resident to fill the seat, Deputy Communications Director Jeff Turner said in an email “Per state statute the administration is considering applicants from across the state.”
Turner did not say why the seat has not yet been filled.
No Board of Fish meetings are scheduled until October.
Coffee with Kenzie
Each Friday, East Side reporter Mackenzie Mancuso sits down for a chat with someone close to the fishing industry.
This week, she caught up with Micaela Emory, the boat yard coordinator at LMI. Having grown up in the area, Emory’s been around fishing her entire life.
Feel Better, Fishermen!
Are your feet dry? Here’s Dr. Cathy Hyndman, who worked in Bristol Bay for decades, and has seen her fair share of fishing-related maladies. Each Friday, we’re going to hear a quick tip on how to stay healthy on the boat, and today it’s about feet.
Audio Postcard on the F/V Briny
Before the Nushagak's first openers, Stephanie Maltarich hopped on the F/V Briny to hear how the crew -- Brendan Flynn, Shawn O’Bryant and Galen Westervelt -- preps for the season.
Messages to the fleet
To: Capt. Brent Cathey on the F/V Independence
Hey snookums. I hope the portage went well. In your rush to beat Matt Hakela to the harbor Monday morning, you forgot your satin pillowcase. I know you don’t like those sleep wrinkles, so I’ll try to send it with your first care package. It might end up being a choice between that and your organically sourced, free trade, chamomile tea. I’ll do my best.
All my love,
Montana Chick
The numbers
The Bristol Bay total run is 1.9 million. The daily catch as of Friday morning was 463,800. That brings the total catch so far this season to 734,003.
Yesterday, 623,147 fish escaped across bay, bringing total escapement to 1.2 million.
Port Moller’s stock composition numbers show more fish hustling to the Nugashak District.
Nushagak District
In the Nushagak District, the total run is now 1.2 million -- more than 60% of the bay’s total run so far.
The fleet was on the water on Thursday afternoon and caught 290,000 fish bringing the total catch to 311,703.
The district’s total escapement is 922,569; daily escapement yesterday reached 535,157.
The Igushik counting tower is getting set up today and if all goes well, it will start counting tomorrow.
Nushagak River
The Nushagak River’s daily sockeye escapement yesterday was at 331,643 -- half of the river’s total escapement so far, which is at 608,879.
The Nushagak River’s Chinook run was 5,710 yesterday. The total run is now at 13,524.
Chum escapement yesterday was 10,995, bringing the total to 18,657.
Wood River
The Wood River’s total escapement almost doubled yesterday, as 203,514 sockeye swam upriver. By 6 a.m. today 18,408 more fish escaped upriver. Total escapement there is now at 332,298.
Togiak
In Togiak, the fleet harvested 800 fish yesterday, bringing the total to 2,198.
Naknek-Kvichak
As we heard yesterday, the run is still slow in the Naknek-Kvichak District. The fleet hauled in 4,000 fish. The total harvest to 4,715.
The Naknek River counting tower counted just 6 fish yesterday, bringing the total escapement there to 1,056.
The total run in the Naknek Kvichak District is 5,771.
Egegik
87,984 fish escaped up the Egegik River yesterday, bringing the total escapement to 271,716.
The fleet was out fishing again yesterday and harvested 169,000 fish, bringing the total season's catch to 415,387.
Both set netters and drifters have two openers tomorrow.
Egegik’s total season run is 687,103.
Ugashik
No numbers yet for the Ugashik yet.
Chignik Weir
At the Chignik River, 476 sockeye swam through the weir. No fish had passed through as of 9 a.m. today. The early run is at 82,880.
Area M
The South Alaska Peninsula commercial salmon fishery was closed yesterday so there is no new harvest to report from the south side of Area M.
The fleet caught 167 kings yesterday, bringing the total to 2,218. Sockeye harvest was 53,303 -- that total is now at 2.8 million. No coho or pink harvest yesterday, those totals are at 2,600 and 2.8 million, respectively. There were just 17 chum caught, bringing that total to 642,430.
Port Moller Test Fishery
Port Moller didn’t fish yesterday, so no numbers today. The Ocean Cat was set to be back out on the ocean today, weather depending.
Stock Composition
Numbers are in for June 19-21 for the fourth stock composition.
Results show the majority of fish sampled -- almost 55% -- were still heading toward the Nushagak District. Most of those fish -- 39% of the total sample group -- were going to the Nushagak River, 15% were headed to the Wood River, and 1% were going to the Igushik.
About 14% of the sampled fish were heading to Ugashik, and 22% to Egegik. The Naknek-Kvichak District will see about 3% -- that breaks down into 1% to the Naknek River, 1% to the Kvichak, and .7% to the Alagnak.
Vessel registration on June 25 9:00 a.m. to June 27 at 9:00 a.m.
Vessel registration is moving on up.
As of 9 a.m. this morning, there are 973 boats registered in the bay, 312 of which are D-boats. That will jump up again on Sunday with 1,018 boats, 330 of which will be D-boats.
In the Nushagak, there are 555 registered boats, and 199 of those are D-boats. On Sunday, that will increase to 585 boats, 216 of which will be D-boats -- by far the most in the bay.
Over to Egegik now: 294 boats are fishing there, 91 of those are D-boats. On Sunday morning, there will be a slight increase to 304 boats and 92 D-boats.
In the Naknek-Kvichak a few boats registered -- the total is at 68, 5 of which are D-boats -- the same as yesterday. On Sunday, that will increase to 73 vessels. The number of D-boats will remain at 5.
Ugashik has 30 boats registered in its fleet, 17 of which are D-boats. Ugashik’s numbers will stay the same through Sunday morning.
Finally, in Togiak, 26 boats are fishing -- that stays the same through Sunday.
Contact the fish team at fish@kdlg.org or 907-842-2200.
