Alaska biologists are forecasting another massive run of sockeye salmon in Bristol Bay this summer, raising questions in commercial fishing circles about whether the industry in the Southwest Alaska region will be able to keep up.
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game predicts that a record 75 million fish will return to Bristol Bay rivers this summer,reported “Processors, fishermen, and fishery managers are gearing up to make the most of 2022, and those efforts are highly commendable but with such a large forecast it begs the question of what happens if processors and tenders cannot keep up,” the group said in the update.
“I have to believe without question that everyone is doing everything they can to maximize the efficiency and capability of plants in the region and looking at how to get extra fish out of region, like putting it on planes for fresh markets or using faster vessels to process it somewhere else,” Van Vactor said.
“With the labor situation and how tight the labor market is, it will be challenge to keep processing capacity where it’s been,” Wink said.
These fish don't magically spawn every 5 years. Alaskan Fisherman need to conserve their livilhood by protecting the population of their Fish. Most fish product in stores goes in the trash for high prices or lack of demand.