ALASKA TRENDS As Alaskans, the importance of Bristol Bay Salmon might be obvious. These slippery critters are some of the most soughtafter seafood in the world—and they charge a premium. But when was the last time you dived into the numbers that support this notion? The Economic Benefits of Bristol Bay Salmon is McKinley Research’s latest report detailing just that. It’s packed with a plethora of information underlining just how crucial this industry truly is. If you’re going to take one number away from the report it should be this: $2 billion. $2 billion was the total economic value of Bristol Bay’s wild salmon resource in 2019. Fish on.
Total Labor Income in 2019 COMMERCIAL FISHING $293.7M SEAFOOD PROCESSING $80.8M VISITOR INDUSTRY $67.9M
32' Max.
$990M
The bulk of the Bristol Bay fleet is designed specifically for this fishery since regulations limit their size to 32 linear feet.
32'
$800M
$300M
$2B was the total economic value of Bristol Bay’s wild salmon resource in 2019 in the US. STATE OF ALASKA $990M P. NORTHWEST $800M OTHER $300M
7 New Operators The commercial operators purchasing salmon has grown over the last 20 years, with 33 operators reporting they purchased Bristol Bay sockeye in 2019, up from 26 in 2000.
Sockeye Products Headed/gutted processed salmon grew from 65% to 72% while canned salmon fell to 8% in 2019. 150 | September 2021
50M Salmon return annually to Bristol Bay rivers. Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
