July 27, 2018 — SEAFOOD NEWS –KDLG has been surveying processors in the Bay to get this year’s sockeye salmon prices, and the result shows a big jump in the overall value of the fishery this year.
Both Trident and Ocean Beauty have confirmed base prices of $1.25 per lb., and prices go up for fish that has higher quality handling such as being chilled, floated, and bled. These fish get $1.40 per lb.
Copper River is paying a premium for chilled, bled, and separated sockeye, from $1.30 to $1.70 reports KDLG.
Meanwhile, Icicle, Togiak, and Peter Pan have not released base prices.
Last year’s base price in the Bay was $1.00, for a harvest of 38.8 million fish. This year, harvests reached 38.2 million, higher than the preseason forecast, and these numbers still may be adjusted.
The upshot is the sockeye fishery is likely worth about 25% more than last year, and as Bristol Bay is such an important part of overall Alaska salmon value, this run will go a long way towards making up some of the shortfall in other areas in terms of overall value.
But that is small consolation to those communities where the sockeye run failed or came in way below expectations, such as Chignik, and along the Copper River.
This story originally appeared on SeafoodNews.com, a subscription site. It is reprinted with permission.