Annual Alaska Salmon Price Report Totals

The Alaska Salmon Price Report (ASPR) is published by four-month period, January–April, May–August and September–December. The Sep-Dec ASPR completes the data series for the calendar year, providing a broader perspective on sales volume and first wholesale values, particularly for frozen products.

We compiled annual totals from the individual ASPR’s released by Alaska Department of Revenue in 2005 and in 2006, for fresh and frozen products. It is important to note key limitations of the ASPR data, namely;

• The reporting threshold is one million pounds, so low-volume, high-value salmon production from small operators is not reflected in the data.
  
  
• No quality or grading distinctions are made within each product form category.
  
  
• Sales volume is reported by area and confidentiality restrictions sometimes prevent full disclosure of sales activity.
  
  
• The ASPR covers the six key salmon product forms, but excludes others that may represent significant volume, such as round-frozen salmon.

The annual total figures show strong value growth for fresh and frozen products in 2006. Total first wholesale value rose 19 percent, from $472 million in 2005 to $562 million in 2006.

Sales volume of fresh and frozen products grew from 271 million pounds to 296 million  pounds (9 percent). While sales volume of Chinook, coho and pink all declined moderately from 2005, that was offset by a major increase in sales of chum salmon, up by 32 million pounds (56 percent) from 2005.

Per-pound first wholesale prices (including roe) showed double-digit growth for four of the five Alaska salmon species in 2006. Unit-value gains ranged from 15 percent for pink salmon to 28 percent for chum.

The growth of chum salmon value is particularly interesting. First wholesale value of chums was $130 million in 2006, nearly one-quarter (23 percent) of fresh and frozen wholesale value for the year. Chum value is traditionally driven by roe, but the recent value growth is a result of increased prices for chum meat products. Wholesale prices for chum roe have remained fairly steady in the $6 - $7 range during the last 4 years while wholesale prices for chum meat products have grown steadily. The first wholesale price of frozen H&G chum rose from $.45 per pound in 2003 to $.95 in 2006.

Total first wholesale value of chum roe in 2006 was $49 million, 38 percent of the species’ fresh and frozen value for the year. Roe made up 50 percent of chum wholesale value in 2001 and over 60 percent in 2000.
Sockeye was the only Alaska salmon species that did not show substantial growth in per-pound first wholesale value.

 

In fact, unit value of sockeye declined from $2.38 per pound in 2005 to $2.37 in 2006.