NOAA Report: Alaska Lost 7,000 Fishing Jobs In 2022-23

A National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration report paints a distressing decline in Alaska fishing-related jobs. Here’s Alaska’s News Source with more:

The key findings of the report show that starting in 2022, there were higher costs associated with increased wages, higher energy prices, and higher interest rates. This was combined with decreased revenue in 2023 due to declining prices for every major species group. 

Other major impacts on the fishing industry included post-COVID retail strategies to keep retail seafood prices higher while lowering the supply, international competition from Russia, and climate change. 

The two Southwest Alaska regions experiencing the largest impacts are the Aleutians East Borough and Bristol Bay Borough regions. The Aleutians East Borough lost 6,036 jobs and had a $573 million loss. The Bristol Bay Borough lost 9,713 jobs and had a $404 million loss.