The Bristol Bay run is not over yet, with word Monday that the Kvichak River seemed to finally “pop”, but this year’s fishery is shaping up to be one of the largest ever and certainly one of the most valuable in a long time. The total run was predicted to be 41.5 million, allowing for a harvest of 27.5 million sockeye, but through Monday the fleet had hauled in over 34 million and the total run was already past 51 million.
“This is a year where the more fish the better,” said Andy Wink, a senior seafood analyst with the McDowell Group who closely follows salmon markets.
Bristol Bay’s big buyers settled on a base price of $1.00 per pound for sockeye in 2017, up from $0.76 per pound last year. Many fishermen will see a $0.15 cent bonus for chilling, and some will see five to ten cents more for floated and bled fish.
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