The Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s (ADF&G) preliminary 2024 Commercial Harvest and Exvessel Values report reveals that Norton Sound’s commercial fishery generated $146,326 in exvessel value from a total harvest of 21,490 salmon.
While the region’s contribution is small compared to statewide totals, the data underscores the critical role of sockeye salmon to the local economy and highlights broader challenges in Alaska’s salmon fisheries.
Statewide, the 2024 commercial salmon fishery recorded significant declines in harvest and value. A total of 101.2 million salmon were harvested across Alaska, a 56% decrease from the 232.2 million fish caught in 2023. The combined exvessel value of all salmon species was $304 million, down from $398 million last year. ADF&G said market conditions played a large role in the reduced value of the harvest.
Norton Sound in Context
Coho salmon was the most harvested species in Norton Sound’s fishery and accounted for approximately 80% of the region’s exvessel value. Locally, coho sold for an average of $1.40 per pound.
For the Norton Sound fishery, the lucrative sockeye sold for an average of $2.21 per pound but was the least harvested species. By contrast, across the state sockeye accounted for 68% of the total value at $206.7 million and 42% of the harvest at 42 million fish.
Chum salmon, the second-largest contributor to Norton Sound’s fishery at $19,347, reflects similar trends to the statewide data. Statewide, chum salmon brought in $45 million in exvessel value and made up 15% of the total harvest with 17.2 million fish.
Pink salmon showed poor performance in Norton Sound and statewide. Norton Sound fishers harvested 3,229 pink salmon, valued at $3,565, with fishers earning just $0.35 per pound. Statewide, pink salmon accounted for 40 million fish, or 40% of the total harvest, but contributed only 9% of the total value at $28.2 million.
Challenges Reflect Broader Statewide Trends
The Norton Sound fishery’s small size has kept it relatively insulated from the dramatic statewide declines in total harvest, but the region has not escaped the effects of declining prices. The average price per pound for Norton Sound’s chum and pink salmon was among the lowest recorded in recent years, mirroring the economic challenges faced by Alaska’s fisheries overall.
Statewide, the total commercial salmon harvest was 25% lower than the preseason projection of 135.7 million fish. While sockeye and chinook harvests slightly exceeded expectations, pink, chum, and coho harvests fell below projections. Poor pink salmon harvests were of particular concern, with only 58% of the projected catch realized.
In addition to volume declines, the total weight of salmon harvested statewide in 2024—450 million pounds—was the lowest on record. Adjusted for inflation, the $304 million exvessel value of the statewide harvest was the third lowest since 1975.
