Grocery store promotions for sockeye salmon from Bristol Bay, Alaska got a boost this season as the fishery posted a total catch of more than 43 million fish, its second-largest harvest on record.
Bristol Bay Regional Development Association (BBRSDA) organizes and supports the promotions, working with five retailers at more than 270 locations across the United States. A steady supply of salmon from the strong fishing season kept seafood counters stocked with wild-caught salmon through much of June and July. Fish can sometimes hit Bristol Bay all at once, causing back-ups for processors and flooding the summer market, but this season most districts had sustained, consistent supply, BBRSDA Executive Director Andy Wink said in a press release.
“The large harvest season provided a consistent, high-quality supply of fresh sockeye into markets across the country,” Wink said.
BBRSDA has been fundamental in pushing higher-quality product through chilling and better handling of fish on the grounds, and Wink added that the focus on quality again showed at the point of sale.
U.S. East Coast grocer Wegman’s reported an overall increase of 18 percent in sockeye salmon sales, with individual stores reporting up to a 240 percent increase over last year.
“This summer’s promotion was a huge success by any measure, and we’d love to partner with BBRSDA in the future,” Wegmans Seafood Category Merchant Mark Fromm said in the release.
HEB, New Seasons, QFC, and Rosauers also took advantage of BBRSDA’s marketing materials, in-store training, and secondary digital promotions to increase sales of Bristol Bay sockeye salmon fillets.
“Our customers wait all year for sockeye season to start up, and since our first promotion in 2013, we have more than doubled our sales volume,” said Daisy Berg, the seafood category manager for New Seasons Market. “Customers line up early at our stores to watch us cut and wrap their sockeye and talk to each other about their favorite recipes. It’s really a fun event for staff and customers alike.”
Bristol Bay’s big 2019 season comes on the heels of large runs that have far exceeded the fishery’s historical averages. Last season’s run of 62.3 million salmon was the largest of all time, and the harvest of 41.3 million fish was the second largest until it was knocked back a spot this season.
Despite the big numbers of fish hitting the market, ex-vessel prices have remained strong, with most major processors posting a USD 1.35 (EUR 1.21) base price for 2019, up around USD 0.10 (EUR 0.09) from 2018.
Image courtesy of the Bristol Bay Regional Development Association
