KODIAK -- Kodiak-based commercial fishermen by far brought home the largest amount of money among fishing communities in the state -- more than the entire Kenai Peninsula Borough. That's just one of the results from the 2011 edition of the Community Commercial Fishing and Seafood Processing fact sheet produced by the United Fishermen of Alaska.
The survey lists the number of permit holders, crewmen and home-ported boats in Alaska's major fishing areas and quantifies the financial impact those, as well as processing jobs, have on their communities. The figures are for calendar year 2010.
The fact sheet reinforces the importance of commercial fishing to Kodiak, which is the No. 4 fishing port in the nation by volume delivered and No. 3 by value. Though Dutch Harbor-Unalaska lands more pounds of seafood with a greater value, the amount of money earned by resident fishermen pales compared to Kodiak.
The estimated ex-vessel income by resident fishermen in Dutch was $3.3 million. The resident fisherman population, including permit holders and crewmen, was just 92, with only 30 vessels home-ported there.
By comparison, 622 vessels claim Kodiak as their home port, with more than 1,400 permit holders and crewmen calling Kodiak home as well. The estimated ex-vessel income by Kodiak residents was $127 million.
Since Unalaska is No. 2 in the nation by volume of seafood crossing the docks, it makes sense that it has the most processing jobs in the state at 3,313. That's 254 more than the Aleutians East Borough and 337 more than Kodiak. Unalaska processing wages in 2010 amounted to over $55 million. It was just under $50 million in the Aleutians East, and was $41 million in Kodiak.
By JAY BARRETT
KMXT Radio