Lots of news from ADFG this week!

ADFG released the 2024 Westward region Tanner Guideline Harvest Levels (GHL). Kodiak gets 3 million pounds, down from 5.8 million last year, the South Peninsula gets 480,000 pounds, and Chignik will be closed. The total GHL of 3.48 million pounds is down by about half from last year's record harvest of 7.3 million pounds. Now that the numbers are out, we're starting to see more action on the Kodiak Tanner permit front. We have new asking prices of $68,000 for sale and $11,000 for lease for under 60' permits, and $110,000 for sale and $18,000 for lease for permits to 120'. 

ADFG published their 2024 Bristol Bay salmon forecast, predicting a run of 39 million sockeye, and a harvest of about 25 million. This is 35% below the 10-year average run and 39% below the 10-year average harvest, but above the longterm run and harvest by 6% and 8% respectively. ADFG considers a run of this size to be "average." That's not a word Bristol Bay fishermen have heard for a while. We have Bristol Bay drift permits listed as low as $135,000 and our highest current offer is $132,000. Our lowest Bristol Bay setnet asking price is $70,000 and our highest offer is $46,000. In other Bristol Bay news, setnetters opted not to join BBRSDA.

Fishing is never a boring industry; there's always drama and always rumors. In news that seemed to sincerely upset management at Silver Bay Seafoods, dozens of Bristol Bay permit holders signed on to a scathing letter essentially accusing the company of financial mismanagement and requesting a forensic accounting audit, among other things. Although SBS hasn't publicly responded to the letter, I'm sure much was said at the annual meeting held this week in Seattle.

ADFG is holding a hybrid Southeast king and Tanner crab task force meeting November 27, in Petersburg, Douglas, and on Zoom.

ADFG published season summaries for Kotzebue and Norton Sound.

Reminders:

ATTN COOK INLET DRIFT FISHERMEN: (don't tune out, this is important!) NMFS is looking for comments on the proposed federal management of the Cook Inlet fishery occurring in the EEZ (federal waters). The proposal would mean some pretty massive changes for the fishery. Here's the gist of it. 

ICYMI: here's the 2023/2024 proposal book for regular cycle Board of Fish meetings on Upper Cook Inlet, Lower Cook Inlet, and Kodiak finfish. And here's ADFG's 2023 salmon harvest and numbers.