Copper River gillnetters improve marketing strategy, but will the fish show up?

摘要

In a highly anticipated rite of spring, some 500 commercial fishermen will unfurl gillnets across the Copper River flats in mid-May, all hoping to land lucrative hauls of Chinook and sockeye salmon that enjoy a national culinary following. This season, however, comes with an added twist as the fleet embarks on a new self-help program to build on the fishery's already enviable marketing success. Drift gillnet permit holders in Prince William Sound voted last year to assess themselves a 1 percent tax on their landings, with proceeds to pay for a regional marketing effort. This will be the first year for the money to start rolling in, and it should be a substantial sum. The region's gillnet fisheries typically have tallied an annual ex-vessel value ofbetter than 20 million dollar, and that translates to 200,000 dollar for marketing.