Sustainable fisheries resources potentially affected by offshore oil and gas drilling in the Bristol Bay and the Southeastern Bering Sea (North Aleutian Basin Planning Area) are worth more than $2.4 billion dollars annually.

The economic figures for the fisheries provided below are intended to give an approximate assessment of the value of the fisheries that could be affected by oil and gas development in the portion of the North Aleutian Basin Planning Area currently targeted for leasing (Sale 92 area). These fisheries were determined to be potentially affected by the impacts of offshore oil and gas development based on two criteria: 1.) the fisheries take place within or surrounding the proposed lease sale area (Sale 92 area) and/or 2.) the species that are fished utilize habitat within or surrounding the area proposed for leasing.

The impacts of oil and gas development would extend beyond the proposed 5.6 million acre lease sale area. Offshore seismic surveys, infrastructure construction and emplacement, vessel traffic, the discharge of drilling muds and cuttings, as well as chemical or oil spills could affect fisheries that occur inside and outside the lease sale area. Oil and gas activities have the potential to cause displacement from fishing grounds, degradation of fish habitat, as well as lethal and sublethal impacts to fish and their prey. Even the perception of a reduction in the quality of product harvested in the region could drive down prices on the world market.

Values after processing were only available for the federal groundfish fisheries. In all other fisheries the ex vessel values, or value before processing, are given below. Thus, the total value for these fisheries actually exceeds the numbers presented below, as value after processing is higher than the price paid to fishermen at the dock.

Economic Value of Bristol Bay and Southeastern Bering Sea Fisheries

Sources:

Federally-managed Bering Sea/ Aleutian Islands groundfish 2005 value after processing and Pacific halibut 2005 Ex vessel value:

North Pacific Fisheries Management Council (2006) Stock Assessment and Fishery Evaluation (SAFE) Report for the Groundfish Fisheries of the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands Area: Economic Status of the Groundfish Fisheries Off Alaska, 2005. Accessed January 15, 2007 at: http://www.afsc.noaa.gov/refm/docs/2006/economic.pdf

Salmon Ex vessel 2006 values:

Alaska Department of Fish and Game, 2006 Alaska Commercial Salmon Harvest and Ex Vessel Values Accessed December 7, 2006 at: http://www.cf.adfg.state.ak.us/geninfo/finfish/salmon/catchval/blusheet/06exvesl.php.

Shellfish 2006 Ex vessel values:

Alaska Department of Fish and Game, 2006 Preliminary Alaska Commercial Shellfish Catches and Ex Vessel Values.  Accessed January 22, 2007 at: http://www.cf.adfg.state.ak.us/geninfo/shellfsh/06value.php

State-managed groundfish 2005 Ex vessel values:

Alaska Department of Fish and Game, 2005 Alaska Commercial Groundfish Harvests and Value (State-Managed). Accessed December 7, 2006 at: http://www.cf.adfg.state.ak.us/geninfo/finfish/grndfish/catchval/05grndf.php

Bristol Bay (Togiak) Herring sac roe 2006 Ex vessel values:

Alaska Department of Fish and Game, 2006 Alaska Commercial Herring Sac Roe Harvests and Ex Vessel Values. Accessed December 7, 2006 at:  http://www.cf.adfg.state.ak.us/geninfo/finfish/herring/catchval/06catch.php