Monday, July 6, 2026
- Jul 6
- 4 min read
Alaska
False Pass eyes tidal power to replace diesel dependence
KUCB by Maggie Nelson - July 1, 2026
An international marine renewable energy company is looking to help False Pass bring tidal energy to its shores.
Bristol Bay Harvest Now at 7 Million Sockeye of 32.2M Forecast, Few Bright Spots in Season So Far
SeafoodNews by Peggy Parker - July 1, 2026
Bristol Bay’s fleet has started reeling salmon aboard in some districts in Bristol Bay, but YOY comparisons are still significantly below last year at this time. The latest harvest numbers from each of the Bay’s five river districts are:
- Nushagak: 2.8 million cumulative catch of sockeye as of the beginning of this week. In addition, 989,000 Chinook were landed in the district. ADF&G’s forecasted harvest for this three-river district is 13.9 million sockeye.
- Egegik: 2.2 million sockeye with a pre-season forecasted harvest of 7.5 million.
- Ugashik: 1.5 million salmon out of a pre-season forecast of 4.3 million.
- Naknek-Kvichak: 539,000 sockeye so far out of a forecasted 6.23 from this two-river district.
The state’s in-season timing chart shows fewer harvests and a later run in Bristol Bay. By week 26 (the fourth week in June), landings over the last five years were averaging almost double what landings have been this year. In the last week of June, landings in the Bay dropped, where the five-year average showed a steady rise of nearly seven times higher. In the last five years, Bristol Bay landings have peaked in week 28, the second week in July this year.
The latest report from the Port Moller Test Fishery (June 30) notes that 50% of the run (harvest and escapement) should reach the inshore districts around July 2-3. That timing would also put the total run at between 41 and 47 million. That data also indicates that “ . . . an early peak to the Bristol Bay runs is becoming less likely.”
The current ADF&G forecast puts the total run at 45.32 million sockeye. The McKinley report, commissioned by the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute, showed that “While most of the harvest has taken place in the east-side districts of Egegik and Ugashik, west side fishing quickly ramped up following the first commercial opening Saturday in the Nushagak District, which was forecasted to produce the largest 2026 sockeye runs in the region.
Commercial salmon harvest began over the last two weeks in Kodiak and Chignik, where sockeye harvests are up by more than 100% from 2025. Sockeye escapement to date on both the Chignik River and the Ayakulik River in southern Kodiak has been the largest to date since at least 2017.
In Prince William Sound, the Copper River District has remained closed since June 11 to conserve Chinook salmon, although some harvest has occurred in other Prince William Sound districts.
In the South Peninsula District, as of June 18, the sockeye harvest of 941,607 fish is above the recent 10-year average of 751,427 fish and the 5-year average of 930,559. The pink salmon harvest of 481,605 fish is below the recent 10-year-even average of 809,352 fish and above the recent 5-year average of 458,584.
Chum salmon harvest of 232,903 fish is above the recent 10-year average of 200,499 fish and 5-year average of 180,625 in the South Peninsula area.
National
US lawmakers insert seafood measures into annual defense funding bill
SeafoodSource by Nathan Strout - July 6, 2026
U.S. legislators in Congress are once again utilizing the fiscal year 2027 annual military funding bill to advance several key seafood provisions, most of which block the Department of Defense from purchasing foreign seafood.
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Environment/Science
AI, drones, and salmon: What new technology could mean for Bristol Bay sockeye counts
KDLG 670AM by Jessie Sheldon - July 3, 2026
Norm Van Vactor stands on the bank of the Wood River facing a mysterious looking grey box with blinking lights to start the morning.
Labeling and Marketing
3MMI - Alaska Salmon Season Update: Bristol Bay Hits Peak Production | Sockeye Supply Improves
Tradex Foods - July 6, 2026
Alaska's 2026 salmon season has entered its primary production phase as Bristol Bay accelerates into peak harvest.
FYI’s
Reducing Burdens on Domestic Fishing and Increasing Production
NOAA Fisheries Assistant Administrator Eugenio Piñeiro Soler announces region-specific actions in support of Executive Order on Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness.
NOAA Fisheries by Eugenio Piñeiro Soler - July 2, 2026
I have served in my role as assistant administrator of NOAA Fisheries for just over a year. In that time, I have prioritized meeting with members and leadership of each regional fishery management council and participating in as many council meetings as possible.
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