Tag Archives: Bristol Bay Fisheries Report
Bristol Bay Fisheries Report: July 17, 2022
Harvests slowed down Saturday. The bay-wide haul was 851,000. This year’s all-time biggest harvest now totals 55.6 million fish. But escapement is still below the record. 17 million fish have made it to spawning grounds across the bay – short of last year’s bay-wide escapement of 25.6 million. Still, the runs up a few rivers have exceeded their maximum escapement goals, and many others have met escapement. >click to read< 12:10
Bristol Bay Fisheries Report: July 4, 2022
Messages to the fleet – Happy July 4thto Captain Mike “Fishhead” Fourtner and the hard-working crew on the newly christened “Twin Tuition” on he first season earning her way on the bay! Every challenged faced in making this season’s opener in time showed how fisherman and the industry rallied to help. Have a great season, be safe and watch that line. Take baby pictures! From the crew of the Deborah Ann – Charleston SC. To Lewis and Joanna on Coffee Point – call home. Happy 4th of July. Audio reports, lots of updates. >click to read< 20:01
Bristol Bay Fisheries Report: June 28, 2022
The price of fuel is on the rise in the United States and many industries are feeling the pressure. Rural areas generally face higher prices for fuel, but in recent months, Bristol Bay residents have seen those prices creep even further. Bristol Fuels in downtown Dillingham Gas set their price at $5.49. In Naknek, the same company charges even more, at $6.64 per gallon. Shannon Williams is based out of Naknek and fishes on the east side of the bay. She said that she’s going to need to work harder to keep up with expenses. “It’s gonna be hard,” she said. “I’ve got to pick a lot of fish to pay my bill.” >read, or listen to the report< 18:39
Peter Pan Seafoods announces price increase to $1.15 per pound for Bristol Bay sockeye – Peter Pan’s vice president, Jon Hickman, says the price bump is part of the company’s assessment of the season so far. “And wanting to relay that to the fishermen, as we consider our business partners in this industry, that we believe we can go a little higher,” >click to read<
Bristol Bay Fisheries Report: July 30, 2021
It’s the final Fisheries Report of the 2021 season! Each summer, Alaskans take to the rivers, bays and oceans to subsistence fish. Some head out to set nets, others may use dip nets, all to stock up on enough fresh fish to last the winter.,, The late sockeye run to the Chignik River may be on track to meet its low-end escapement, but the early run likely won’t hit the mark. The Chinook run hasn’t reached its escapement, either. Commercial fishermen only had three openers to target pink and chum salmon in the inner bays. But lots of people spent the summer tendering in Bristol Bay. There will be one final daily run summary posted online Monday August 2nd, and the final season summary will be available mid-September. >click to read< 08:32
Bristol Bay Fisheries Report: July 20, 2021
Bristol Bay’s run is tantalizingly close to breaking the record for the largest run ever to return to the bay. The run of 62.7 million fish is currently the second-largest run ever, less than 200,000 behind the largest run of 2018.,,, What happened when Bristol Bay became a limited entry fishery? Bristol Bay and other fisheries around the state have operated under a limited entry permit system for almost half a century. In 1972, people in Alaska voted to amend the State Constitution,,, Izzy Ross sat down with Fred Terisi, who worked as a lawyer in Dillingham just as the system was implemented in the early 1970s. >click to read< 07:44
Bristol Bay Fisheries Report: July 18, 2021
We’re on the edge of a record year – 61.3 million salmon have returned to Bristol Bay waters. The previous record was set in 2018 with a whopping 62.9 million salmon. Will 2021 be the year we break records once more? Messages to the Fleet – To: Capt. Brent Cathey on the F/V Independence. Hey Fluffy Buns. Please tell Matt Hakela that I still can’t find the pumpkin spice beard oil he wanted, so I’m sending some of your extra Rosewater Mustache Wax. Such a good thing you order it by the case! Finished up the bedazzling on all your work clothes. I’m cleaning closets next. Do you mind if I donate your Barbra Streisand and Spice Girls CDs? I need to make room for my Waylon and Cash collection. Miss you like crazy! From Montana Chick, audio, >click to listen or read< 10:12
Bristol Bay Fisheries Report: July 14, 2021
Bristol Bay’s run is 3 million fish over its pre-season forecast — more than 54 million fish have returned so far. The Naknek-Kvichak’s fleet had the biggest catch of the day, as more than 700,000 fish were hauled in, and the Kvichak saw a sizable escapement. Ugashik’s harvest was over 600,000 for the third day in a row. Messages to the fleet – To Jessie Peraleg, on the Sandie Marie: please call me at my mom’s, 842-4000 ASAP,, To Doug Walling: Wishing my favorite guy in a uniform, DW, is having the time of his life and staying safe!! Missing you… Your Chicago Fisher Girl- J >click to read< 08;07
Bristol Bay Fisheries Report: July 11, 2021
Messages to the fleet, – Hey Pooh Bear. Did your satin pillowcase arrive OK? Sorry it’s been so long since I’ve checked in. You know that guy from last summer I thought was your brother? But then he turned out not to be your brother? He’s visiting again. I guess he’s a massage therapist, and is back in town for an internship. I’ve been more relaxed lately, so have been keeping busy and bedazzled your Carhartt coveralls and will work on snowmachine bibs next. Is Chartreuse still your favorite color? Miss you! Montana Chick (PS. Tell Matt Hakela that I couldn’t find that pumpkin spice beard oil he likes. Will look for alternative.) The Numbers! >click to read< 09:50
Bristol Bay Fisheries Report: July 10, 2021
The Nushagak continues to cool off: yesterday the fleet hauled in less than a million fish for the second day in a row. Things are picking up on the East Side where fleets in the Naknek-Kvichak District nearly doubled their catch yesterday. The Ugashik District passed the one million mark for their total season catch. The Numbers: The bay-wide catch continues to barrel ahead at 41.8 million fish, and an estimated 730,000 fish are swimming up the plentiful rivers around the bay. >click to read< 08:15
It was another million-fish-day in the Nushagak! – Bristol Bay Fisheries Report: July 8, 2021
The Nushagak’s harvests are unprecedented. Fishermen here have caught more than a million fish for seven of the last eight days. “In 2018 we had six days over a million harvests, but that’s the only thing that’s come close,” said Sands. “Up until 2017 I don’t think there was ever a day in Nushagak Bay that caught over one million sockeye in a day.” Sands says the catch numbers aren’t just brushing the million fish mark — they’re blowing past it. Messages to the fleet A shout out to the crew of the Vega! We are rooting for all you guys: John, Ryan (Da-da) and the Flagstaff boys (Quinn, Tad & Roomi)!! From all of us in Salt Lake City & Flagstaff! audio report, >click to read<11:17
Bristol Bay Fisheries Report: July 4, 2021
A message to Captain Mike “Fishhead” Fourtner and crew on the F/V Bonnie B. They say another Independence Day fishing the bay and thinking “salmon fireworks” are more awe inspiring in their own special way. They hope you’re earning your share and keeping the tenders happy. From a friend in far-away Charleston, South Carolina. The Numbers, The bay-wide run is now over 19.5 million sockeye. Almost 1.2 million fish escaped yesterday, >click to read< 09:33
Bristol Bay Fisheries Report: July 1, 2021
More than 1.9 million sockeye returned to the Nushagak District, the fleet hauled in its largest single-day harvest ever of 1.773 million fish. The timing isn’t a surprise, but the sheer size definitely is. A commercial fisherman has died after a vessel sank in the south end of Nushagak Bay on Thursday morning,,, Nushagak District fishermen caught the most fish ever in a single day in the history of the district. Josh Crozby owns and operates the tender Icelander. He and his crew were on the south line of the Nushagak River, about 25 miles downriver from Dillingham. Crozby said the huge swell of salmon caught them by surprise. Audio report, >click to listen/read< 08:28
Bristol Bay Fisheries Report: June 21, 2021
It’s the first Fish Report of the season! Data from Port Moller show a big push of fish might arrive in the Nushagak this week. But managers will wait to open fishing there until 100,000 sockeye have escaped up the Wood to protect the district’s king run. On the East Side, Egegik’s out fishing, and people in Naknek are getting ready.,, Messages to the Fleet, From Elaine: Wishing the awesome crew on the new f/v sugar mama a very successful season. Hope she lives up to her name The Gunnison Valley wishes their sea legged friends, Frances and Jeremy, all the best on the open water! ANd a special hello from Lidl the weiner dog! From the F/V Independence, Brent apologizes in advance. >click to listen/read the report<10:14
Bristol Bay Fisheries Report: July 31, 2020
It’s the final Bristol Bay Fisheries Report of the season! A few stories about community on our last evening together. The bay smashed expectations this season — the total run is the fifth largest ever recorded. We see how the districts measure up in the last daily run summary of the season. >click to read<10:12
Bristol Bay Fisheries Report: July 29, 2020
In the penultimate episode of the season, we take a look at the beating heart of our show — commercial fishing. We parse through updates on federal and state relief funding for fishermen, perspectives on the Naknek-Kvichak’s huge year, and a final look at the market. >click to read< 08:11
Bristol Bay Fisheries Report: July 24, 2020
A lull in returns today at 468,000 fish, the daily harvest bay-wide was about half what it was the day before. The total run is 55.9 million fish, about half a million away from last year’s. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has released the final environmental review for the proposed Pebble Mine. A Seattle-based seafood processor will pay out more than $440,000 to workers at a Bristol Bay cannery, the result of a settlement after the company was sued in June. “We think that it is a fair and just compensation for the workers that were held for 12 days at a hotel without being paid,” said Jonathan Davis, a managing partner of the San Francisco-based Arns Law Firm, which filed the lawsuit. The firm took on the case pro bono, so it will not receive any compensation for its work. The processor, North Pacific Seafoods, was sued for false imprisonment and failing to pay the workers, among other charges. >click to read< 15:30
Bristol Bay Fisheries Report: July 20, 2020
At 52.6 million, the total bay-wide run is now almost four million above the preseason forecast. It’s also more than a million fish over where it was at this point last year! Almost half of the total run is in the Naknek-Kvichak — at 23 million fish, that district has seen the largest run in the bay, followed by Egegik, at 13.9 million fish. All rivers except Togiak have reached or exceeded their escapement goals. >click to read< 13:08
Bristol Bay Fisheries Report: July 13, 2020
Baywide daily harvest dropped below 2 million for the first time since July 4th. The total harvest is over halfway to the pre-season forecast swimming in at 25.2 million fish. Total escapement throughout the bay is now just over 12 million, and has now passed the pre-season escapement forecast. The total run in Bristol Bay so far this season is 38.4 million fish. Average fish per drift delivery was below 1,000 in every district of the bay yesterday. >click to read< 09:48
Bristol Bay Fisheries Report: July 11, 2020
The run in Bristol Bay is over 30 million fish, 30.8 million to be exact. Total harvest baywide was 2.1 million yesterday, bringing the season’s harvest in Bristol Bay to 20.9 million fish. Total escapement so far this season across the bay is 8.8 million. Fish per drift delivery saw a bit of a swing yesterday. Ugashik fishers averaged over 2,500 fish per delivery, the Naknek-Kvichak saw an average of over 1,000 fish per drift delivery, but other districts were between 180 and 700 fish per delivery. audio report, Messages to the fleet, >click to read< 17:26
Bristol Bay Fisheries Report: July 7, 2020
We have the first million-fish catch day in the bay! Egegik harvested 1 million and 30 thousand fish, and the Naknek-Kvichak district and the Nushagak both had harvests over 950,000. The total run across the bay jumped by 4 million fish yesterday, to 15.5 million fish. With respect to Egegik’s big catch yesterday, Egegik management biologist Aaron Tiernan had this to say in an email, “Wow! That was impressive. Based on Port Moller, there is still a good amount of fish to come.”,, A boat sinks in the Nushagak district.,, “I have never picked so much fish in my life in one opener” – Nushagak drifter describes a big opener. >click to read< 14:13
Bristol Bay Fisheries Report: July 6, 2020
The run is late this year, but it’s ramping way up across the bay. The total run passed 11 million fish yesterday, with some of the biggest harvests we’ve seen yet this season in 3 of the bay’s districts. Total run in the bay jumped by over 3 million fish yesterday, to almost 11.5 million. Total catch bay-wide is 8.4 million, total escapement is 2.5 million, and there are an estimated 515,000 fish in-river in the bay’s combined rivers. Fish per delivery from the drift boats also jumped by an average of 500 fish per delivery bay-wide. All the districts that fished yesterday delivered more than 1,100 fish per delivery yesterday, and in Ugashik… that number was almost 2,000 fish per delivery. audio, report, >click to read< 14:39
Bristol Bay Fisheries Report: July 5, 2020
The total harvest for the bay is around 1.2 million, as of yesterday. Taking a look across the bay, the total run is at around 8.5 million. The numbers seem to be picking up on the eastside again. The Nushagak district’s daily harvest was 165,000 yesterday, bringing the season’s harvest to 2.6 million. That was harvested 4% by Igushik set-netters, 26% from Nushagak set netters, and 70% from drifters. In the full Nushagak district, daily escapement was 36,800 yesterday. That makes the total escapement across the Nushagak district 1,056,000 Breaking that down by river system… audio, >click to read/listen< 14:57
Bristol Bay Fisheries Report: July 4, 2020
A big bump of fish hit the Naknek-Kvichak and Egegik yesterday — those fleets caught most of the bay’s daily harvest of nearly 1.2 million. Total harvest around the bay is now approaching 5 million. Escapement yesterday was 140,000, and 1.8 million fish have escaped around the bay this season. The total run is at around 6.8 million. The Nushagak district’s daily harvest was 60,000 yesterday, bringing the season’s harvest to,,, Breaking that down by river system, audio report, >click to read< 07:25
Bristol Bay Fisheries Report: July 2, 2020
Fish are picking up around the bay. The run leapt past the 4 million fish mark and is approaching 5 million, and the runs in the Naknek-Kvichak and Egegik both passed 1 million yesterday. Egegik had the largest daily harvest. In the Nushagak, the total run passed 2 million. Coronavirus update (Covid-19), U.S. House and Senate extend application deadline for PPP,Audio report, >click to read< 14:02
Listen to the Bristol Bay Fisheries Report, July 18, 2016
The total run to Bristol Bay through Sunday is now 41.2 million. Sunday was another two million fish day, with 1.5 million landed and 500,000 counted as escapement. Will this run reach or surpass the preaseason forecasts? (ADF&G – 46 million / FRI – 51.9 million) Naknek-Kvichak Sunday harvest: 809,000 (821 sockeye avg. per drift delivery) Ugashik: 308,000 (1205) Egegik: 291,000 (857)Nushagak: 186,000 (589) Togiak had the day off. On tonight’s program, Egegik fisherman and BBFA board member David Kopra reacts to a price posted by Icicle Seafoods of .75/lb for sockeye, plus a .15/lb chilling bonus. (Icicle also says chums .40/lb, kings $1.25/lb, pinks .23/lb, silvers .55/lb.) One longtime Trident Seafoods fisherman says his company offered the same for reds. (Like to share what your companies have posted? Email Dave or Molly or call 907-842-5281.) Plus, FRI’s Curry Cunningham breaks down the district runs, and weighs in on what tail that Naknek Kvichak district may, or may not, see this week. Listen to the report here 10:59
Bristol Bay Fisheries Report July 23, 2015
There’s an emergency Board of Fisheries meeting tomorrow to discuss who can fish in the Togiak District when, and what’s coming for the Bristol Bay meeting later this fall, plus – more fishermen unhappy about prices. Listen to the Bristol Bay Fisheries Report here 23:11
Bristol Bay Fisheries Report July 17, 2015
The fishery is usually winding down this time of year, but folks on the east side say catches – and the wind – is going strong. Area Managers Travis Elison and Paul Salomone talk about fishing in the Naknek-Kvichak, Egegik and Ugashik Districts, the port in Naknek is busy, and fishermen talk about the wind and their limits. Listen to the report here 08:15
Bristol Bay Fisheries Report, July 4, 2015
Coming up today, as the total run pushes past 10 million sockeye, Port Moller Test Fishery says the it’s likely coming in smaller (a lot smaller) than predicted. ADF&G’s Travis Ellison is seeing a bump of fish to the Kvichak River, and author/painter/veteran Bristol Bay fisherman Dick Smith joins us for a conversation about the old days in the fishery, and his new book Bristol Bay Boy. The migration this year has been very odd. However, at this point we must consider the possibility of a smaller run. Listen to the report here 23:13
Bristol Bay Fisheries Report, June 26 2015
Fishing is picking up in the Nushagak and Egegik districts, but the Naknek-Kvichak fleet is still on the sidelines. On tonight’s show, an update from ADF&G’s Tim Sands and Travis Elison, some details on the sale of Icicle Seafoods, plus a run down of the rest of the day’s news and numbers. Hannah Colton hosts KDLG’s Bristol Bay Fisheries Report for Friday June 26, 2015. Listen to the report here 15:36
Bristol Bay Fisheries Report June 21, 2015 with KDLG’s Molly Dischner
Today we hear the news the westside has been waiting for – setnets are going in the water – and take a trip from Kachemak Bay to Bristol Bay. A look at Sunday’s catch and escapement numbers, an interview with area managers from both sides of the bay, and a journey from Kachemak Bay to Bristol Bay. That, plus a conversation about fisheries research with UW’s Daniel Schindler. Listen to the report here 19:03
