Fish Radio
Fish update, Budget cuts
April 22, 2015
This is Fish Radio. I’m Laine Welch – Fishing updates and fish budget cuts. That’s up after this –
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Federal grants are available to help “Made in America” companies compete with imports and save US jobs. Learn more at www.nwtaac.org.
As always in Alaska, lots of fishing is going on from Ketchikan to the Bering Sea. Salmon trollers are back out on the water at Neets Bay near Ketchikan , and it’s hard to believe that the 2015 salmon season will officially kick off in just a few weeks at Copper River.
More than 50 boats are dropping pots for nearly 70,000 pounds of shrimp at Prince William Sound after a three year closure. The fishery opened April 15th. A beam trawl shrimp fishery opens in Southeast May 1 for pinks and side stripes.
Kodiak’s roe herring fishery is slow going a week into the fishery. Still no action at Togiak, home to Alaska’s largest herring fishery, where boats and five buyers await a catch of 29,000 tons.
Just over two million pounds of halibut have been landed since the March 15 opener, on par with last year’s pace. The total catch limit this year is 17 million pounds. Prices remain in the $6-$6.50 pound range at major ports.
Nearly half of the halibut has been landed at Seward; Seward also stomps all others for sablefish landings. Dock prices have reportedly ranged from $3/lb for small sizes to more than $7/lb for large fish.
Fishing is ongoing throughout the Gulf and Bering Sea for cod, pollock, and other groundfish. Snow crab is winding down with the fleet’s 61 million pound quota within reach.
In its wind down the Alaska legislature ended up lopping $8 million from the Fish and game budget; $5.5 million of that is from the commercial fisheries division.
Find links to Alaska catches and more at www.alaskafishradio.com –
Fish Radio is also brought to you by Ocean Beauty Seafoods. Ocean Beauty has contributed over 10 million meals to the U.S. Food Bank network, and is committed to ending hunger in America. www.oceanbeauty.com In Kodiak, I’m Laine Welch.
