October 30, 2017 — It’s steady as she goes for the values of Alaska salmon fishing permits, with upticks in the wind at several fishing regions.
“There’s a lot of cautious optimism,” said Jeff Osborn of Dock Street Brokers in Seattle.
As well there should be after a salmon fishery that produced 225 million fish valued at nearly $680 million, a 67 percent increase over 2016.
Bristol Bay drift salmon permits trade more than any other due to sheer volume (1,800), and it’s no surprise the value is increasing after one of the best fishing seasons ever. But they are not “rocketing up” in value, said Doug Bowen of Alaska Boats and Permits at Homer.
“They’re over $140,000 right now, which is up from the start of the season when they were down around $130,000-$135,000,” Bowen said. “But they are inching up and it seems there’s as many people who want to get into the bay as there are who want to get out, and so the prices have kind of stabilized.”
Osborn at Dock Street agreed.
“They haven’t come up at Bristol Bay as much as I would’ve anticipated, but maybe that’s yet to come,” he said, referring to potentially strong 2018 salmon forecasts being released soon by state fishery managers.