Net Your Problem works to recycle fishing gear in Alaska. You can help by voting for Net Your Problem in a competitive grant from the Center for Behaviour and the Environment. Net Your Problem is one of 10 finalists for a $25,000 grant and you can vote HERE to show your support for this project.

In April, BBRSDA committed financial support to test the feasibility of doing the in-season genetic analysis for stock composition estimates from the Port Moller Test Fishery (PMTF) onboard one of the test boats.

Join BBNA for Regional COVID Broadcasts Tuesdays at 2pm Alaska Time (also recorded).

As of April 19, 2021, all 50 states allow vaccinations for everyone 16 and older.

During the 2021 fishing season, Quality Control technicians working on 15 tenders across Bristol Bay will measure the quality of salmon at the point of delivery using the noninvasive ‘Certified Quality Reader,’ a device that uses electrical currents to measure cell degradation of the salmon.

The BBRSDA Board of Directors will have a teleconference board meeting on Wednesday, April 21, 2021 at 9am AKT.

Click HERE to view or download BBRSDA’s 2020 Annual Report. This inaugural annual report summarizes what BBRSDA did in 2020, who we are, our approach to meeting the mission, financial data, market analysis, and more.

There are two open Board seats in this year’s election. A total of four members have been nominated and qualified as Board Seat Candidates. The ballots are in the mail to all BBRSDA members. The postmark deadline to return your vote is April 29th.

Members and the public are welcome to attend the annual Spring Industry Meeting video conference and hear from BBRSDA, Northern Economics, ADF&G, Bristol Bay Fisheries Collaborative & Port Moller Test Fishery.

The team-member spotlight this month is Frances Bursch. Frances is a life-long Bristol Bay fisherman and joined BBRSDA at the end of the 2020 season.

On April 2nd changes from Dillingham’s updated Emergency Order will go into effect. The switch from EO 1.1 to EO 2.0 changes numerous things while retaining important Covid safeguards.

CDC and Coast Guard FAQs confirm that vessel crewmembers are not required to wear a mask under the following circumstances:

• If they are alone in a room, work area, or private cabin;

• If they are eating or drinking; and

• If they are performing a task for which mask-wearing would create a risk to workplace health, safety, or job duty.

BBRSDA is very excited to have a virtual booth at this year’s ComFish Alaska event (MARCH 30-31). Don’t wait, click “Read More” and register NOW!

As the EPA has recognized, Bristol Bay is one of the nation’s great natural resources, and BBRSDA is writing to encourage the EPA to exercise its authority under Section 404(c) of the Clean Water Act to help protect and preserve it for future generations. The need for EPA leadership to protect Bristol Bay from the ongoing existential threat posed by hard-rock mining in the watershed remains urgent.

New economic analysis of Bristol Bay’s famed salmon runs show that the fishery’s economic benefits exceeded $2.2 billion in 2019, generating more than 15,000 jobs while feeding hundreds of thousands of people. The commercial fishery supplies as much as 57% of the world’s sockeye salmon catch, driving $990 million in economic activity in Alaska alone, and $800 million in induced impacts for the Pacific Northwest.

There are two open Board seats in this year’s election. A total of four members have been nominated and qualified as Board Seat Candidates…

The success of our retail program relies heavily on the expertise of our retail contractor, Mark Jones, of Tallahassee, FL. Though he has been in the game for over 25 years, Mark tends to fly under the radar, so we are pleased to feature him as our BBRSDA Team Member Spotlight for this month.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued the order, Requirement for Persons to Wear Masks while on Transportation Hubs, which requires all persons traveling on all commercial vessels to wear a mask at all times. The Coast Guard has been charged with enforcing the order.

Bristol Bay fishermen are deeply frustrated and confused by the price of fish paid out in 2020. This situation has led Bristol Bay fishermen to ask “what is going on” and “what can be done?” As the largest organization representing Bristol Bay salmon fishermen, we have responded with an attempt to answer these complex questions, as a pragmatic service to our fleet and our mission.

Applications will be available on March 1st on the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission website.

Read the full eligibility and payment calculation details in the ‘Final Spend Plan’