PRESS RELEASE: 2020 Bristol Bay Season Highlights - Big Harvests and Strong Retail Sales

BRISTOL BAY, Alaska (Sept. 8, 2020) – Fishermen in Alaska’s Bristol Bay this summer continued a six-year trend of impressive harvest numbers, hauling in nearly 40 million sockeye salmon during this year’s commercial fishing season. Over 57 million sockeye returned to Bristol Bay in total, again highlighting the region’s importance as a renewable domestic food supply. Additionally, across the U.S. a steady increase in consumer demand continues to drive strong sales of Bristol Bay Sockeye Salmon at retail, with numerous retailers promoting fresh sockeye from Bristol Bay through the summer months.

“The fleet in Bristol Bay showed true strength and resiliency this season, pulling in strong harvest numbers in the face of the huge logistical challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said BBRSDA executive director Andy Wink. “Together, Bristol Bay’s fishermen, processors, medical personnel, support businesses, and government agencies worked together to execute a safe and successful season without community spread or COVID hospitalizations, and in doing so provided another extraordinary bounty of wild sockeye salmon for people around the world.”

Grocery and seafood retailers took notice of this year’s harvest, with several new partners signing on for summertime promotions of fresh sockeye salmon from Bristol Bay. Eight retail chains containing over 1,200 individual stores hosted branded Bristol Bay Sockeye Salmon promotions or promoted salmon from Bristol Bay online, with many seeing significant sales gains. Spokane-based Rosauers Supermarkets saw a dramatic sales increase of more than 120% in both volume and revenue over the previous year’s non-promotion sales period. Other prominent retailers across the U.S. promoted fresh Bristol Bay Sockeye Salmon both in stores and online including H-E-B, Heinen’s, Hy-Vee, QFC, Raley’s, Rosauers, and Whole Foods.

“Bristol Bay Sockeye Salmon promotions have become a highlight of our annual sales programming, and we are eager to do more throughout the rest of the year,” said Rosauers Supermarkets meat merchandiser Mike Alfson. “The team behind the Bristol Bay brand has put together a powerful program that has helped bring our customers a great seafood product with a compelling story, and drive record sales numbers.”
 
Lilani Dunn, BBRSDA marketing director, said retailers have had great success in driving sales of Bristol Bay sockeye and several new partners have engaged in fresh promotions this season. “We will continue to seek out both new and returning partners to expand the reach of the program through this year and beyond," Dunn said. "It's a great deal for any retailer that wants to participate, it costs them nothing and our data shows that they see an average sales increase of about 34%, and often much greater. Clearly, consumers want high-quality wild salmon and love Bristol Bay’s incredible story.”

About BBRSDA: The Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association is a fishermen-funded group with a mission to increase the value of the Bristol Bay fishery through education, quality outreach, and marketing. Learn more at bbrsda.com.