UNIT 1 3 



ALASKA SALMON FISHERIES 



59 



INTRODUCTION 



Alaska's Pacific salmon fisheries contrib- 

 ute to the world's food supply, the econ- 

 omy and health of the Nation, and rank as 

 the state's largest nongovernmental em- 

 ployer. They also provide recreational op- 

 portunities and are an integral part of 

 Alaska's native culture and heritage. 



Pacific salmon spend a portion of their 

 life (1-7 years) at sea and return to fresh- 

 water streams to spawn and die. From their 

 freshwater spawning grounds, the young 

 salmon may migrate thousands of miles 

 out to sea and into international waters 

 outside of the U.S. Exclusive Economic 

 Zone (EEZ). 



The U.S. Alaska salmon industry began 

 with purchase of the territory from Russia 

 in 1867. Catch levels have varied widely 

 since then (Table 13-1). By 1896, the 

 Alaska salmon catch reached 1 1.5 million 

 fish and increased to 126 million by 1936. 

 Catches declined after 1 94 1 to a low of 22 

 million in 1974. In the 1980's, catches 

 increased, hitting an all-time high in 1989 

 of 155 million salmon (Table 13-1, Fig. 

 13-1). Sport catches of salmon in 1988 

 totaled about 908,000 fish in all waters. 



The value of the 1990 state-wide catch 

 (305,123 t) has been estimated at $540 



million. Though the 1990 catch was 

 smaller than the 322,528 t taken in 1989, 

 it was worth more because of its larger 

 valuable sockeye harvest. 



Alaska's 34,000-mile coast is nearly two- 

 thirds the length of the coastline of the 

 "lower 48" states. Salmon management in 

 such a vast area requires a complex mix- 

 ture of domestic and international bodies, 

 treaties, regulations, and agreements. Fed- 

 eral and state agencies participate in the 

 North Pacific Fisheries Management Coun- 

 cil (NPFMC). Salmon management is also 

 negotiated with Canada in the Pacific 

 Salmon Commission, with Canada and 

 Japan in the International North Pacific 

 Fisheries Commission (INPFC), and via 

 bilateral and multilateral talks and negotia- 

 tions with Taiwan and the Republic of 

 Korea. 



Management in the EEZ (3-200 miles 

 offshore) is the responsibility of the NMFS 

 and the NPFMC. The Council leaves to the 

 INPFC the management of foreign salmon 

 fisheries in the EEZ west of long. 175°E. 

 The Alaska Department of Fish and Game 

 (ADF&G) manages all fisheries in state 

 waters. 



Table 13-1.— Average annual 

 number of Alaska salmon caught 

 by decade since 1880. Source: 

 ADF&G data. 



Period 



Average annual catch 



Period 



Average annual catch 



SPECIES AND STATUS 



Alaska's five salmon species (chinook, 

 coho, chum, sockeye, and pink) are fully 

 utilized, and stocks generally have rebuilt 

 to or beyond previous high levels (Table 

 13-2). Some stocks, like chinook and 

 coho, may be harmed by foreign high-seas 

 catches. High-seas catch data are incom- 

 plete and more research is needed so 

 salmon of American and Asian origin can 

 be identified and protected. 



Some salmon may be regionally over- 

 utilized. In Bristol Bay, chinook catches are 

 far below recent averages— the 1990 catch 

 was the second smallest of the 1950-90 

 period. In the lower Yukon area, chinook 

 catches are about 21% below par. Mean- 

 while pink salmon in Bristol Bay are far 

 below 1970-89 harvests, and wild sockeye 

 and chum salmon in Prince William Sound 

 have declined. 



