Fishermen in the world’s largest salmon fishery at Bristol Bay are getting good grades for improving the quality of their salmon, and it's boosting their bottom line.
Starting in 2008, two projects have tracked fish quality based on specific handling practices and given individual fishermen scores on their improvements (or not).
“The two studies go hand in glove. First, you get a score and understand where you are, and secondly, if you wish to improve, then you can start changing the way you handle your fish out on the water to bring your score up,” said Mark Buckley of Digital Observer, Inc., who created and oversees the project.
“Of course, the bottom line is that higher quality fish sell for more in the marketplace,” he added. “We have been seeing the level of quality has been rising steadily in Bristol Bay over the past four or five years and at the same time, fish prices have come up. I’m not going to claim that the entire rise in fish prices is due strictly to quality but I challenge anyone to claim the opposite.”
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