Salmon forecast decreased
By Laine Welch Alaska’s 2010 salmon season will produce 15 percent fewer fish, if predictions by state fishery managers hold true. The statewide, all-species harvest is pegged at 138 million salmon, compared to last year’s catch of 162.5 million salmon. It is the 12th largest take since 1960. According to the “2010 Run Forecasts and [...]
When Evaluating Investments, Look at Value – Not Just Price
Most investors pay a great deal of attention to the price of their investments — yesterday’s price, today’s price, tomorrow’s price, next year’s price and so on. And that’s understandable, because we always want the prices of our investments to rise. Yet, if you focus too much on prices, you could end up making some costly mistakes.
Alaska salmon goes to Head Start students
Alaska Head Start is taking its hat off to Peter Pan Seafoods and Bristol Bay fishermen this week at a special ceremony on Wednesday in Juneau. The seafood company will be recognized as the top corporate sponsor by the State Head Start Association for its role in providing local salmon to children and elders throughout Southwest Alaska.
Bill in Legislature grants boat engine updates
As the Alaska legislature gets underway, two fish bills held over from last year are poised to pass early in the session.
One, introduced by Rep. Bryce Edgmon of Dillingham, would expand loan terms by the Division of Investments revolving loan fund to let fishermen borrow money to make upgrades for more fuel efficient engines.
Alaska deckhands to lend fisheries labor data
The project that aims to collect labor data on Alaska deckhands is on track to come before the legislature this session.
As self-employed workers, roughly 20,000 crew members have fallen through the cracks in terms of basic data that show their economic importance to the industry.
Alaska contributes most of the nation’s seafood
As we look back at Alaska’s seafood industry over the past year, consider this: 62 percent of our nation’s seafood landings come from Alaska, as does 96 percent of all U.S. wild salmon. Globally, Alaska ranks ninth in the world in terms of seafood production. The seafood industry is second only to “Big Oil” in revenues it generates to state coffers, and provides more Alaska jobs than oil/gas, mining, tourism and timber combined.
Fish-funding, food and ‘Barbie’ lobster
Funding for various fisheries and projects has been penciled into the state’s budget for next year.
Last week, Gov. Sean Parnell unveiled the proposed budget for the 2010/2011 fiscal year, which begins July 1. For the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, the operating budget request is $188.6 million, including general fund and federal dollars, 4.1 percent higher than the current budget.
Tide may turn on fishing permit sales
Sales of fishing permits and catch shares is a good way to gauge how confident people feel about the economy, and brokers say the past year has been a mixed bag in their business.
Draft catch-share policy calls for sustainability
Federal managers have officially come out in support of catch share programs as the best tool for managing U.S. fisheries.
Wild salmon prices feel bite of hard times
The global recession took a bite out of wild salmon prices this summer for both fishermen and processors. Although the coast wide supply increased by 16.8% over last year, the average dock price of $.51/lb. was a drop of 20.3% – but still an improvement over the $.44/lb. average in 2007.
