Most Bristol Bay fishermen were shocked and dismayed when they heard last week that major buyers would pay 50 cents a pound for red salmon. That’s a throwback to the dock prices paid from 2002 to 2004, and is far below the $1.20 or more paid last year.
A late surge of reds produced catches of nearly 13 million fish in the final week of this year’s run, bringing the total by July 23 to 34.5 million fish. Fish were still trickling in, and state managers, who called the season an anomaly, said the final tally should reach the projected harvest of 37.6 million sockeye.
To an extent, fishermen were prepared for lower prices this summer due to:
• A plugged global market.
• Frozen fish remaining from last summer’s big run;
• The continuing Russian embargo against U.S. seafood; and
• A strong dollar that makes it more expensive for foreign customers to buy U.S. salmon.
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