Alaska and Washington, children of a common ancestor.

Long before Alaska gained statehood in 1959, Washington was economically and politically hitched to the last wilderness. When Sen. Warren Magnuson was defeated in 1980, the joke was given expression: Alaska had just lost its third senator, folks said.

Alaska's Bristol Bay fishery is a useful illustration of interwoven economies. The commercial sockeye salmon fishery is the most abundant and valuable on the planet, providing nearly half of the world's wild catch. Washington is a direct beneficiary, home to nearly 800 Bristol Bay commercial permits. This translates into more than 3,200 seasonal commercial fishing and seafood-processing jobs in Washington and $169 million in income to the Puget Sound region, according to a University of Alaska study prepared for the Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association.

In 2010, the gamut from harvesting to processing was valued at $1.5 billion.

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