Wild Alaska seafood: an important natural resource.

• Author: Miller, Amy
• Position: ALASKA TRENDS

When it comes to natural resource development in Alaska, most Alaskans think first of oil and gas--and for good reason. The oil and gas sector provides more than 80 percent of the state's general fund revenues.

While not as big a contributor economically, however, Alaska's commercial fishing industry packs an unrivaled punch when it comes to its role in the global supply of wild seafood, especially salmon. Alaska is responsible for nearly 80 percent of the world supply of wild king, red, and silver salmon, making the industry an important contributor to the world food supply as well as a significant source of jobs and economic activity in Alaska.

According to the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, the commercial fishing industry directly employed 53,500 people in 2009. Many of these jobs are in parts of Alaska that don't have a lot of other employment opportunities. For example, the Aleutian Islands region depends most heavily on the seafood industry, which isn't surprising considering that the Port of Dutch Harbor is the largest fisheries port in the United States by volume. During the peak months of activity in 2009 in Unalaska (where the Port of Dutch Harbor is located), 78.6 percent of the workforce was involved in the industry; even at its lowest level of...