Alaska News

Bristol Bay sockeye run goes from bust to unbelievable

The world's biggest sockeye salmon run at Bristol Bay went from bust to unbelievable in a week.

Landings last week broke records on five days, bringing the total sockeye catch to nearly 28 million fish in an unusually late run -- and the reds were still coming.

Overloaded processors scurried to replace workers they'd sent home the previous week, when the big forecasted run was deemed a no-show. The late surge of sockeyes also left many fishermen frustrated with limits to their catches, while some tenders were already trekking to other regions to process red salmon. It remains to be seen how long the run will last and if it will produce the projected catch of 38 million reds.

Bristol Bay's sockeye catch can add up to nearly two-thirds of Alaska's total salmon fishery value. Going into the season, buyers were bracing for another huge sockeye haul even though freezers and shelves remained packed with fish from last year's big haul. Now, the uncertainty has put the prices on hold until buyers see how Bristol Bay plays out. Market reports from the U.S., Japan and Europe say most buyers are waiting for the majors, such as Trident and Ocean Beauty, to make large-volume sockeye purchases before prices start settling out.

For more than a month, unconfirmed reports have put the ground price for Bristol Bay sockeye salmon at 65 cents a pound, with an extra 15 cents for chilled fish, well under a Bristol Bay base price that averaged $1.20 a pound last year.

The Kodiak sockeye base price to fishermen was reported at 80 and 90 cents. Both regions paid in the $1.75 a pound range last year. The statewide average sockeye price to Alaska fishermen in 2014 was $1.37 a pound.

Pink salmon surging

Meanwhile, pink production is coming on line across the state. Prince William Sound seiners were catching 2 million pinks a day, and had totaled nearly 20 million fish by July 17. Much of the overload was being sent to Kodiak and Southeast for processing. Pinks also were showing up slowly in Southeast Alaska where a whopping 58 million catch is expected. Most pink salmon prices are reportedly starting in the 20- to-25- cent range, down about a dime from the statewide average last year.

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Fish faves

Most Americans eat their seafood at restaurants and the highest-ranking fish dish at the Top 500 fast-casual restaurants nationwide is salmon, although cod is quickly becoming a menu favorite. Crab dishes also have ticked up by nearly 2 percent on U.S. restaurant menus.

That's according to Chicago-based Technomic, which has tracked and analyzed the U.S. food industry for 45 years. A new report says only 6 percent of seafood entrees occur on menus at fast-casual eateries, and 54 percent of diners said they would like to see more seafood variety.

Shrimp still ranks as America's top seafood choice, but sushi is fast becoming a favorite. Sushi appetizers appeared on menus about 43 percent more often this year compared to last, Technomic said, and many Americans are eating sushi regularly – especially millennials born between 1980 and the mid-2000s.

Greenpeace thumbs up, thumbs down

Switching from restaurants to supermarkets – 82 percent of the nation's top 25 grocery chains got passing grades this week from Greenpeace for their eco-friendly seafood practices and protection of workers' rights.

In its ninth annual Carting Away the Oceans report, Whole Foods topped the scorecard for the third consecutive year, followed by Wegman's, Hy-Vee, Safeway and Target. Failing grades went to Publix, Southeastern Grocers, Roundy's, A&P and Save Mart.

Greenpeace concludes its mixed-kudos report by advising consumers to "eat less fish. "Today's demand for seafood far outstrips what can be delivered from sustainable sources. Reducing seafood consumption now can help lessen the pressure on our oceans, ensuring fish for the future," Greenpeace wrote.

That advice drew searing criticism from the National Fisheries Institute, which responded: "No longer content to hide its dangerous ulterior agenda behind a thin veneer of inference and insinuation, Greenpeace is now openly calling for Americans to 'eat less seafood.' This not only destroys whatever shreds of credibility Greenpeace had left, but puts its fringe activists at odds with just about every medical and nutritional expert in the world including the (U.S.) Food and Drug Administration."

Labels for genetically modified salmon

Consumers may know if the salmon they're eating are "real" fish and not "man-made" if a measure from U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski becomes law.

Murkowski last week added language to the fiscal year 2016 Agriculture, Rural Development and FDA spending bill that will require labeling for genetically engineered salmon sold in the U.S.

A genetically engineered Atlantic salmon, engineered to grow twice as fast as a normal fish, is being produced by Massachusetts-based AquaBounty, which has been awaiting FDA approval for nearly two decades. Murkowski is among its staunchest critics, due to concerns about interbreeding with wild stocks as well as the science behind GE products.

"If the FDA moves forward as it currently is, there would not be a requirement to ensure that people know what it is they are eating," Murkowski said. "People need to know whether they are eating a genetically-engineered fish or they are eating a wild Alaskan salmon that we promote so strongly in our state."

The House Committee on Agriculture also passed the Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act last week, earning accolades from the grocery industry. The bipartisan bill aims to establish a uniform labeling standard for foods made with genetically modified organisms and GMO-free foods. The committee hopes to have the bill before the full House by the August recess.

Laine Welch is a Kodiak-based columnist who writes about commercial fishing. Contact her at msfish@alaskan.com.

Laine Welch

Laine Welch is an independent Kodiak-based fisheries journalist. Contact her at msfish@alaska.com.

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