Alaska is having another roller coaster year for salmon harvest.
Areas like Copper River in Cordova, and the Yukon River Delta are not seeing even the lower return estimates predicted at the beginning of the season. Contrast that with Bristol Bay, which has had a much larger than expected return, but sockeye grading has shown much smaller fish than usual.
Does this fall back once again on Climate Change? That does appear to be the case. With the freshwater portion of their life cycle happening in warmer water, the sockeye of Bristol Bay seems to have been feasting on a much more abundant food supply. There appear to be new theories that the sockeye class of 2021 was able to mature faster in their smolt phase and may have even left for the ocean early. Larger fish moving to the saltwater environment allowed for greater survival, but also caused their early return. It is a hypothesis being investigated.
Because of foul weather, the Bristol Bay run was not as heavily harvested as it could have been. The increased escapement could be very promising for the 2024 run. The escapements were also very good the last couple of years, so we might be seeing a return of larger numbers in the future as more fish spawn.
Sustainability is key not only for the salmon population but for the thousands of fishermen who set out to catch them each year. More than 1.2 million jobs are related to the commercial fishing industry, each intricately connected to the other and dependent on consistent stocks to support employment year upon year. When we zoom out even further to the canneries, shippers, carriers, forwarders, stores, restaurants, etc., the health of our oceans becomes a lynchpin to feeding, employing, and supporting life on the planet.
At CFI, we are staunch advocates of being good stewards in the industries and commodities we serve. By its very nature, perishables are commodities that decay or go bad quickly and cannot be stored for sale. Without putting too fine a point on it, the time-sensitive nature of our cargo makes us acutely aware of the fragility in the entire supply chain. This is why we’ve dedicated our service to ensuring your cargo arrives at the peak of freshness. Any delays can lead to waste so we protect with cutting edge technology and ensure that from receipt to delivery, each step moves like clockwork.
Contact your CFI representative to learn more about our dedication to your cargo. You can trust your perishables to CFI.
