The Economic Importance of the Bristol Bay Salmon Industry

Abstract

By any measure, the Bristol Bay sockeye salmon fishery is very large and valuable. It is the world’s most valuable wild salmon fishery, and typically supplies almost half of the world’s wild sockeye salmon. In 2010, harvesting, processing, and retailing Bristol Bay salmon and the multiplier effects of these activities created $1.5 billion in output or sales value across the United States. In 2010, Bristol Bay salmon fishermen harvested 29 million sockeye salmon worth $165 million in direct harvest value alone. That represented 31% of the total Alaska salmon harvest value, and was greater than the total value of fish harvests in 41 states. Salmon processing in Bristol Bay increased the value by $225 million, for a total first wholesale value after processing of $390 million. The total value of Bristol Bay salmon product exports in 2010 was about $250 million, or about 6% of the total value of all U.S. seafood exports. In 2010, the Bristol Bay sockeye salmon fishery supported 12,000 fishing and processing jobs during the summer salmon fishing season. Measuring these as year-round jobs, and adding jobs created in other industries, the Bristol Bay salmon fishery created the equivalent of almost 10,000 year-round American jobs across the country, and brought Americans $500 million in income. For every dollar of direct output value created in Bristol Bay fishing and processing, more than two additional dollars of output value are created in other industries, as payments from the Bristol Bay fishery ripple through the economy. These payments create almost three jobs for every direct job in Bristol Bay fishing and processing. United States domestic consumption of Bristol Bay frozen sockeye salmon products has been growing over time as a result of sustained and effective marketing by the industry, new product development and other factors. This growth is likely to continue over time, which will result in even greater output value figures for the industry’s economic impacts across the U.S. The economic importance of the Bristol Bay salmon industry extends far beyond Alaska, particularly to the West Coast states of Washington, Oregon and California.