This year, Bristol Bay’s $0.50-per-pound base price had fleet members questioning the industry’s longevity. The dynamic between fleets and processors has existed for decades, with permit-holding fishing crews delivering their catch before knowing its cost, and processors relying on them to do so.
KDLG’s Christina McDermott sat down with economist Gunnar Knapp, who spent decades studying Bristol Bay’s salmon markets, to learn more about the history of this relationship, and what it means going forward.
Gunnar Knapp: My name is Gunnar Knapp. I’m a retired professor of economics at the University of Alaska Anchorage Institute of Social and Economic Research, and I spent several decades studying Alaska salmon fisheries, in particular salmon markets, and in particular Bristol Bay salmon markets. So, I’ve been following that fishery for a long time.
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