Bristol Bay's Fisheries, Fish and Marine Invertebrates
Sockeye Salmon - Photo by Peter Essick (5) |
Red King Crab - Photo by Eiliv Leren (6) |
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The Bering Sea provides habitat for at least 300 species of fish, 50% of which are primarily found on the continental shelf. In addition, 251 species of pelagic invertebrates and 472 species of benthic invertebrates are known to inhabit the Bering Sea (MMS, 1985). As a result, Bristol Bay is home to a variety of commercially valuable fish species. Five species of salmon are found here (chinook, coho, sockeye, pink and chum). Bristol Bay is Alaska’s largest salmon fishery (U.S. Coast Guard, 2001) and is involved in adult spawning migrations and juvenile migrations for the majority of the salmon inhabiting the Bering Sea (MMS, 1985). The Bristol Bay sockeye salmon fishery is the largest in the world (U.S. Coast Guard, 2001).
In addition to salmon, many other fish are found in the area. These include Pacific Herring, Arctic Grayling, Arctic Char, Halibut, Rainbow Trout and Steelhead. Pacific Herring pass through Bristol Bay on their way from offshore overwintering grounds to their coastal spawning areas (MMS, 1985). Bristol Bay’s herring fishery is considered to be the largest herring fishery in Alaska (U.S. Coast Guard, 2001). Some of the marine invertebrates found in Bristol Bay include the Red King crab, Tanner crab, shrimp and razor clams (U.S. Coast Guard, 2001). Together, the commercial fisheries of Bristol Bay and the southeast Bering Sea result in a profit of two billion dollars each year (AMCC, 2007).