OPINION: Limited Entry isn’t Perfect, but it Keeps Bristol Bay Teeming with Sockeye
The early 1970s were not good years for the salmon industry in Bristol Bay. The largest catch in the first five years of the decade came in 1970, a paltry 10 million fish. Compared to today’s numbers, a catch that small would be called a disaster.
When 1973 yielded 2 million fish, the state of Alaska, knowing something needed to change, instituted a limited-entry program.
The theory was there were too many fishermen targeting too few fish. In reality, most of the poor runs were associated...
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