A season of rough fishing in the Naknek-Kvichak
The run is tapering off in the Naknek-Kvichak District. Travis Elison, the district’s Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s East Area Management Biologist for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, said fishing has been good, but the weather has been rough.
“It’s been a real stormy, windy year, with Southeast winds have been blowing the fish farther away from the set netters, and it sounds like the fish are running deep it sounded like, from talking to a lot of the fishermen. All of it just makes it harder for them to catch, he said.
Peter Pan Seafoods ups base price to $1.25 a pound for Bristol Bay sockeye
Peter Pan Seafoods has raised its base price for Bristol Bay sockeye to $1.25 a pound.
The company announced an initial base price of $1.10 in June, before fishing began.
The processor told its fleet it was upping the base price to $1.25 on Saturday the day after OBI Seafoods set its base price for that amount.
Travis Rowenfanz, the Bristol Bay manager for Peter Pan, said the company upped its price to compete with other processors.
“There were some other rumors out there that the other base prices were going to be posted at $1.25, so we wanted to make sure that we were competitive. So we bumped up to $1.25 to match what we were hearing out there in the other industry sectors,” Rowenfanz said on Monday.
Messages to the Fleet
Happy Birthday to two young men at Ekuk Beach! Love from Darren Petla, close friends and loved ones
I would just like to give a Birthday Shoutout to Linda Anderson for July 18th. You are one of the most special and sweet people that I ve ever met. Wishing you a birthday filled with magic and happiness and I hope you know I m thinking about you and missing you all the time. Cheers to being 24 and give Covi some scratches for me. From Zechariah
To: Capt. Brent Cathey on the F/V Independence. Hey Fluffy Buns. Please tell Matt Hakela that I still can’t find the pumpkin spice beard oil he wanted, so I’m sending some of your extra Rosewater Mustache Wax. Such a good thing you order it by the case! Finished up the bedazzling on all your work clothes. I’m cleaning closets next. Do you mind if I donate your Barbra Streisand and Spice Girls CDs? I need to make room for my Waylon and Cash collection. Miss you like crazy! From Montana Chick
Messages to the Fleet
Big shout out to the skipper and crew of the F/V Bigg Skiff in Ugashik! Hope you guys are having a good season. Sounds like the nets are sinking! Hurray for ugashik! Lay one out on the north line for me! From your good friend in Oregon, Patrick!
Shannon Evans on F/V Rib Rib: Happy birthday to my galley wench! Hope you have an amazing day, love from all your family and friends Birch Bay. Love Carol
To Mojo on the F/V Corsair: make it a game! – love mom
The numbers
We’ve officially passed 60 million salmon in Bristol Bay waters as of yesterday! The total run so far this season is 60.7 million fish bay wide, nearly 10 million fish over the forecast. The run is slowing down a bit but it’s still anyone’s guess for what the final run will look like.
Ugashik fisherman thankful for the harvest
Fleets in the Ugashik District have stayed busy over the past week. Fishermen harvested over 600,000 fish a day for three days in a row.
Jeremy Rubingh returned for his seventh season on the F/V Eva. He says like every year, he’s grateful for the opportunity to fish in the Ugashik.
“Ugashik has been great, it’s been a strong steady run, and just big beautiful fish, and every single year it’s an honor to be a part of in such an amazing thing,” he said. “You get reminded of the volume of fish and how special this is in the world”