| In Alaska, salmon come first. Alaska has a long | | | | deep weighted lines through the water, each with |
| and successful track record of managing and | | | | 8 - 12 leaders attached. At the end of each leader |
| conserving its abundant salmon resources. Record | | | | there is a lure or baited hook. Boat size varies |
| salmon runs with a recent average annual catch | | | | from small skiffs to vessels of 50 feet or more |
| of 165 million salmon is the proof of this | | | | with most ranging between 25 to 40 feet. |
| successful approach. | | | | Trollers primarily target king, coho, and pink |
| Nearly 95% of all commercially caught salmon in | | | | salmon as they enter Alaskan waters on their |
| the US are harvested in Alaska. Alaska is the top | | | | way to the spawning grounds. Trollers catch a |
| producer of wild, high-value salmon, producing | | | | relatively low volume of high-quality fish. The fish |
| nearly 80 percent of the world supply of king, | | | | they catch are bright and vigorous from fresh |
| sockeye, and coho. Alaska's commercial salmon | | | | ocean waters. They are oftensold dressed, or |
| fishery is vital to the Alaskan economy and the | | | | filleted in the fresh or fresh frozen market. |
| Alaskan way of life. | | | | Gillnetters set curtain-like nets in the water |
| Each year, the salmon industry provides | | | | suspended from a float line at the surface and a |
| thousands of jobs and hundreds of millions of | | | | weighted lead line along the submerged bottom |
| dollars to the state's economy. Commercial fishing | | | | edge. Nets vary in length from 900 to 1800 feet |
| is critical to communities and fishingfamilies | | | | long. The net's mesh openings are just large |
| throughout the state. | | | | enough to allow an adult fish head to get through |
| Alaska's fishing industry leads the state in | | | | and become entangled at the gills. |
| providing 47% of private sector jobs, and is | | | | There are two types of gillnets; driftnets that are |
| second only to the oil industry in providing | | | | free floating from boats, and setnets that have |
| revenue to the state. In 2002, the exvessel value | | | | one end attached to the shoreline. Boat size is |
| for combined fisheries totaled $955 million with | | | | limited to 32 feet or less in Bristol Bay; otherwise, |
| $162 million from salmon. | | | | the average range is 30 to 40 feet. Gillnetters |
| Salmon fishing permits are issued to individuals, | | | | primarily harvest sockeye, chum and coho. |
| not corporations, through the "limited entry permit | | | | Purse Seiners use a large floating net, pulled and |
| system". The total number of available permits | | | | set in circle by a power skiff, to surround |
| for each fishery is strictly limited. Fishermen may | | | | schooling salmon. The weighted "purse line" at |
| not own more than one salmon permit for the | | | | bottom of the net is drawn closed to contain the |
| same gear type and area. This creates a fishery | | | | fish. The net full of fish is then gathered to the |
| made up of many individuals and families. | | | | boat through a highpowered hydraulic block. |
| Three main gear types catch Alaska salmon: | | | | Purse seiners are not allowed north of the Alaska |
| trolling, gillnetting, and purse seining. All commercial | | | | Peninsula; boat size is limited to 58 feet. Purse |
| salmon fishing boats are relatively small vessels; | | | | Seiners harvest mainly pink salmon near the |
| averaging 30 to 50 feet. | | | | shoreline and close to fresh water spawning |
| Trollers use long trolling poles to pull or troll 2 to 4 | | | | grounds where runs are highly concentrated. |