Friday, August 28, 2026
- Aug 28
- 5 min read
Alaska
Pink Salmon Surge in Sitka and Kodiak Lifts Alaska Season Totals
SeafoodNews by Peggy Parker - August 27, 2026
A late-season surge of pink salmon into Sitka and strong returns in Kodiak have brightened Alaska's salmon harvest picture heading into the final stretch of the season.
The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute's (ASMI) weekly harvest summary through August 22 showed the cumulative salmon catch had exceeded year-to-date 2025 levels — and 2024 levels for pink salmon — though totals remained well behind both the forecast and the prior-year cumulative harvest as the season began to wind down. That picture improved further after the report was distributed, when word came of an additional surge of pink salmon into Sitka.
The McKinley Research Group report, commissioned by ASMI, had already documented a surge of pink salmon landings at Southeast Alaskan ports, with the action shifting to Sitka after earlier landings concentrated at Ketchikan, Petersburg, and Juneau.
The scale of the Sitka run has been striking. According to a report from Sitka's Raven Radio, seiners harvested 1.23 million pink salmon on August 6, surpassing the previous single-day record of roughly 950,000 fish set in 2017. Four days later, the fleet broke the record again, with 1.28 million pink salmon harvested on August 10.
Alaska Department of Fish and Game Sitka area management biologist Aaron Dupuis described the run as unusual for the region and for the year.
"We've been seeing really strong harvests of pink salmon and really strong escapements, which was kind of unusual for an even year, and fairly unusual given what's been going on with pink salmon in the rest of the Gulf of Alaska," Dupuis said. "So it's pretty special to have a good pink run in the Sitka area this year."
An additional 20 to 30 vessels have moved into the Sitka fishing grounds in recent weeks. As of August 17, the Sitka pink salmon fishery ranked as the seventh largest in state history, according to KCAW, with additional openings still expected. Seine-caught pink salmon prices in Sitka were running around 60 cents per pound — approaching double the prices seen in recent years.
Kodiak Also Posts Gains
Beyond Sitka, last week's harvest activity extended to Kodiak, where the pink salmon harvest was up 82 percent from 2024 and the sockeye harvest was up 6 percent year-to-date.
In Prince William Sound, the salmon harvest continued to run below 2024 levels across all five species, with keta particularly lagged. However, Sound seiners caught approximately 1.5 million pink salmon in the weeks leading up to August 22, bringing the area total closer to last year's pace.
Statewide Picture
Statewide, approximately 84 percent of the forecasted sockeye harvest had been caught through August 22, along with about 50 percent of the forecasted pink, keta, and Chinook salmon — with the season peak for those four species now likely past. Coho remains at 31 percent of forecast, though late-running coho are typically caught well into September.
Statewide total landings through August 22 are as follows:
- Chinook: 139,000 fish
- Chum: 9.5 million
- Coho: 846,000 fish
- Pink: 34.3 million
- Sockeye: 37.6 million
Total: 82.4 million fish
National
Common cause: Maine, Alaska share challenges, if not history
National Fisherman by Jerry Fraser - August 24, 2026
Maine and Alaska have very different fishing histories, but their fishermen now face the same squeeze — fuel and bait costs, warming water, bycatch caps, and closures.
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International
Canada excludes US seafood from retaliatory tariffs
Reuters by Anusha Shah - August 27, 2026
Canada removed seafood and fish products from a list of counter tariffs on U.S. imports on Wednesday, a day after announcing levies on about $20 billion worth of American products.
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Environment/Science
St. Paul’s new research boat marks a milestone in efforts to rebuild economy, local leaders say
KUCB by Katie Reuther - August 27, 2026
The Pribilof Islands community of St. Paul is now the homeport for a research boat.
Federal Register
Pacific Halibut Fisheries of the West Coast; Inseason Action for the 2026 Area 2A Pacific Halibut Directed Commercial Fishery
A Rule by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 08/28/2026
NMFS announces an inseason action for the 2026 Pacific halibut non-Tribal directed commercial fishery in the International Pacific Halibut Commission's (IPHC) regulatory Area 2A.
North Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting
A Notice by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 08/28/2026
The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a Crab Plan Team Meeting on September 14-17, 2026.
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Reallocation of Pacific Cod in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area
A Rule by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 08/28/2026
NMFS is reallocating the projected unused amounts of Pacific cod from vessels using jig gear and catcher vessels greater than or equal to 60 feet (18.3 meters (m)) length overall (LOA) using hook-and-line gear to catcher vessels less than 60 feet (18.3 m) LOA using hook-and-line or pot gear and is opening directed fishing for Pacific cod by catcher vessels less than 60 feet (18.3 m) LOA using hook-and-line or pot gear in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI).
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch in the Central Aleutian District of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area
A Rule by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 08/28/2026
NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific ocean perch in the Central Aleutian district (CAI) of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI) by vessels participating in the BSAI trawl limited access sector fishery.
FYI’s
Parallel Pacific P-cod fishery opens on Sept. 1
The Cordova Times by staff - August 26, 2026
The Prince William Sound area Pacific cod parallel season for pot and longline hook vessels will open at noon on Sept. 1, state fisheries officials announced on Aug. 25.
Coastal Villages taps pollock expert for director role
Coastal Villages Region Fund has hired a longtime Alaska pollock expert, adding deep sector experience to the western Alaska CDQ group.
Intrafish by Rachel Sapin - August 27, 2026
Cathy DuPuis has extensive expertise with Alaska pollock...
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