The Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association (BBRSDA) has secured nearly $688,000 in federal grant funding over the past few months to support two initiatives aimed at strengthening the Bristol Bay sockeye salmon fishery by expanding domestic seafood markets and improving access to real-time salmon return data.
The two awards, one announced in September and one in October, will fund projects through 2028 that address both the economic and operational needs of Bristol Bay’s commercial fishing fleet, from building demand for wild Alaska sockeye salmon to providing fishermen with better information during the fishing season.
BBRSDA announced in September that it had received $499,400 through NOAA Fisheries’ Saltonstall-Kennedy (S-K) grant program to launch a new project, “Wild Alaska Sockeye Salmon in Food Service.”
The two-year initiative aims to increase demand for wild Alaska sockeye salmon across the U.S. food service industry, including restaurants, schools, healthcare facilities, and corporate dining programs. Through marketing, industry partnerships, and long-term menu placements, BBRSDA hopes to introduce Bristol Bay sockeye to more consumers while diversifying markets for the fishery.
The award marks BBRSDA’s first Saltonstall-Kennedy grant and represents a rare federal investment specifically targeting the marketing and promotion of Bristol Bay sockeye salmon.
“This grant comes at an especially important time for Bristol Bay’s fishermen, as the seafood industry continues to navigate a challenging and highly competitive market,” said Lilani Dunn, executive director of BBRSDA. “Foodservice represents significant untapped potential for Bristol Bay sockeye salmon, and this funding will help us introduce our fish to more chefs and diners while building stronger, more diversified demand.”
The project runs from Sept. 1, 2026 through Aug. 31, 2028.
On Oct. 29, BBRSDA announced a second grant award of $188,268 from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) through its Electronic Monitoring and Reporting Grant Program, funded by NOAA Fisheries.
The project will deploy a hydroacoustic sonar system on the Naknek River near King Salmon, Alaska, to automatically count returning salmon and provide real-time data to fishermen, processors, and fishery managers.
Sonar technology uses sound waves to detect and count fish moving underwater across a wide section of a river. While many existing sonar systems require technicians to interpret data and periodically produce fish counts, the new system will automate that process and feed the information directly into an online dashboard accessible throughout the fishing season.
SeaSignal Technologies, working with Coastal Measures and BioSonics, was selected through a competitive process to develop and operate the system. The Naknek River will serve as the first deployment site, with additional Bristol Bay river sites expected to be integrated in the coming years.
“Better information during the season means better decisions for everyone who depends on this fishery,” Dunn said. “Sonar lets us count fish across a wide stretch of the Naknek and get those numbers to fishermen, processors, and managers while they can still act on them.”
The project aims to improve in-season decision-making by giving fishermen and managers faster access to information about salmon returns while supporting the long-term sustainability of the resource. The grant period runs from June 1, 2026, through May 31, 2028.
Together, the two grants represent $687,668 in federal investment.
