Web posted Sunday, May 6, 2007

Salmon processing should keep pace

By Margaret Bauman
Alaska Journal of Commerce

State fisheries officials say a survey of fish processors in Alaska shows that salmon purchasing and processing capacity for the 2007 season is expected to exceed projected statewide harvests of all species.

The announcement from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game said its recent survey concluded that purchasing and processing capacity would exceed the projected statewide harvests of sockeye, pink and coho salmon in most areas of the state. Bristol Bay, Prince William Sound, Southeast/Yakutat, and Kodiak should have more than enough capacity to process the large harvests forecast in those areas, officials said.

Seventy of the largest salmon processors in Alaska were surveyed to obtain estimates of 2007 salmon capacity by area and species. Excess or insufficient capacity was identified by comparing the capacity from the survey to the department's 2007 preseason forecast of salmon harvests. Capacity is defined as a combination of the physical processing capacity and the intent of buyers and processors to purchase and process salmon.

This forecast represents only an approximation of the numbers of salmon the state agency expects may be available for harvest, officials said. Historically, the actual harvests have varied widely from the forecasted returns.

ADF&G expects a small increase in the number of tenders provided by processors in 2007, except in Cook Inlet, where processors intend to employ fewer tenders. Processors also expect to buy salmon from more fishermen this year than they did last year. The percentages vary by area, but increases generally will be less than 32 percent for both tenders and fishermen, officials said.

Among processors surveyed, there appear to be some shortages of processing capacity for chinook and chum salmon. The largest shortages from the survey were for Arctic-Yukon-Kuskokwim chum salmon (a shortage of 1.4 million fish), chinook salmon (a shortage of 29,000 fish) and pink salmon (a shortage of 111,000 fish). Other shortages indicated in the survey will likely be made up by the smaller processors that were not included in the survey.

The 2007 salmon processing capacity survey is available on the Web at www.cf.adfg.state.ak.us/.

Margaret Bauman can be reached at

margie.bauman@alaskajournal.com.

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