| 1 |
You are back. Care to join me on another fishing trip? Being a commercial fisherman here in Alaska can be a fine-paying job. But outside the salmon season, it’s harder to get by. |
| 2 |
Most of the salmon fishing in Alaska takes place in the summer. But you can catch salmon in winter too. Here on the rocky shores of Bristol Bay, the height of the season is from June to July. |
| 3 |
Salmon fishing in Alaska is subject to strict regulations. The authorities set the quota and season for fishing the wild-caught salmon each year. The fines for breaking the regulations are hefty. |
| 4 |
During the summer months, salmon return from the ocean to the Alaskan rivers for spawning. We are always looking for additional fishermen during this season. |
| 5 |
By following the regulations we make sure the salmon have enough time to replenish. This makes it a sustainable resource while the salmon can live their lives in their natural habitat. |
| 6 |
While the salmon are small they are in the relative safety of the land rivers. As they grow they swim into the ocean where they have a lot of sustenance to help them get bigger. |
| 7 |
Now let me get my boat and we can set out to the bay to catch us some salmon. Grab a few barrels for the fish we catch. Make sure they are big enough, the Alaskan salmon can grow large. |
| 8 |
There are several ways of catching salmon. I prefer trolling and not just because of the name, heh. We will fasten several iron rods at the back of our boat. Now, where did I put them? |
| 9 |
Here they are! Now set some tasty lure on the rods and let’s lower them into the water. Then we can start off across the bay at a low speed and wait until a salmon bites the bait. |
| 10 |
The fish don’t bite today. We should probably get some fishnets and try a different approach. We will spread the nets in the current and wait for the salmon to get tangled in it. |
| 11 |
This time we were successful. Just look at how many salmon we caught in the nets. We will get a lot of money for this haul. I will trust you to give me my share after you sell the fish. |
| 12 |
Bristol Bay is the largest salmon fishery in Alaska. Many people come here for sports fishing. Catching a salmon in the Alaskan waters is a highly sought-after experience. |
| 13 |
Unfortunately, the Pebble Mine that was opened a few years ago is now threatening the salmon habitat. The people living here fought long and hard against its opening, but we lost. |
| 14 |
Luckily, the salmon are still abundant in Bristol Bay. Let’s hope it will remain so in the future. Now help me unload the salmon we caught earlier. |
| 15 |
Commercial salmon fishing is no easy job. It can get pretty dangerous on deck during harsh weather. That’s why we are always looking for experienced deckhands. Let your sailors know. |
| 16 |
We deliver the harvested salmon to the local fish processing factory. But we have to pack it into these barrels first. Hmm, I see we have a lot of pink salmon today. Nothing unusual. |
| 17 |
Here in Bristol Bay, the most abundant is the pink salmon. But you can find here almost all of the Pacific salmon types. The sockeye is the best one. You can get a bonus for catching those. |
| 18 |
We can try catching the sockeye salmon tomorrow. Just bring some additional nets. I noticed the nets we used today are torn. That can happen sometimes so we need to have spare nets ready. |
| 19 |
Today we can try another way of catching salmon. We will use the net you brought yesterday and fasten it between our two boats. Just make sure to use a strong metal wire so it doesn’t get loose. |
| 20 |
Do you see that? That one is the sockeye salmon! The most valuable type. Let’s spread some delicious krill around the net and maybe we will catch even more of them. |
| Final |
Thank you for your help. Don't forget your reward, captain. |
KEVIN SCOTT
7,600
4,800
2,500
1,900
1,300
425
20
3
20
45
30
30