Closing of West Coast Fisheries May Help Alaska

Alaska salmon could get a boost if West Coast fisheries are called off this summer. Federal managers will decide next month if salmon fisheries in Oregon and California should be shut down completely. Washington might dodge the bullet, but that remains to be seen. It would mark the first time ever that the traditional salmon season - which runs from April through mid-November - was canceled.

The crisis stems from major declines in salmon returning to the Pacific coast to spawn in their home waters. Most scientists point to 'broad scale ocean survival problems' as the primary cause for the coast wide salmon collapse. Others blame faulty fresh water management and pollution.
According to the Seafood.com news site, the shut down will jeopardize the livelihoods of nearly 1,000 commercial fishermen. The closures also will kill recreational salmon fishing for millions of anglers.

While the West Coast pain is likely to prompt a gain in interest and prices for Alaska king salmon, and to a lesser degree, coho, it does raise a few red flags. Planet conscious buyers believe they are doing the right thing by not purchasing Pacific salmon because it is endangered ­ and to them, that includes Alaska.

"It's amazing how many times we get asked - 'aren't your fish endangered?' There's a lot of confusion out there in the market place, particularly when they hear reports about all the fish in the oceans will be gone in a few years. We have a real challenge explaining to people that there is no shortage of fish in Alaska," said Ray Riutta, executive director of the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI).

http://www.sitnews.us/LaineWelch/031708_fish_factor.html

See also Alaska king salmon fishing