Results of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s 2018 Bristol Bay sockeye salmon processing capacity survey indicate that major processors are ready for a bigger harvest than anticipated.
According to ADF&G, the total intended purchases of 41.71 million fish is approximately 4.12 million fish, or 10 percent higher than the harvest forecast of 37.59 million salmon.
The survey estimated a maximum daily processing capacity of 2.43 million fish daily, which could be sustained for approximately 20 days.
The survey, an estimate of aggregate processing capacity for the entire season, was sent to the 12 processors who purchased 99 percent of all sockeye salmon purchased in Bristol Bay in 2017. All 12 processors provided survey responses indicating their intended purchases for the coming summer.
