Kodiak Fishing Industry

Kodiak is located on the northeastern edge of Kodiak Island in the Gulf of Alaska. The Island is 250 air miles from Anchorage and 100 miles by sea to the closest road in Homer. Surrounded by pristine oceans, the fishing industry in Kodiak is known for quality, as well as quantity.

The Port of Kodiak is where 770 commercial fishing vessels make their home port. Kodiak is the state of Alaska’s largest fishing port, as well as home to the largest fleet of trawlers, longline, crab and salmon vessels. Vessels in Kodiak are able to fish year round for cod, pollock, rockfish, halibut, black cod, crab and all five species of salmon.  Consistently ranked as one of the nation's top fishing ports by volume and product value, Kodiak is a key player in anything related to fisheries.

As per a recent study, while factors such as fish prices and climate change are beyond Kodiak’s sphere of influence, there are ways the community can help guide its fishing fate. The community can engage with processors to ensure that, where interests align, communication and advocacy efforts are complementary and coordinated. Proactive steps to temper consolidation trends and to support new entrants into fisheries may prove important. The newly passed Young Fishermen’s Development Act may offer new opportunities. Developments under consideration such as a cold storage facility at Anchorage Ted Stevens’ Anchorage International Airport might also offer new opportunities. (McDowell Group)