Alaskan commercial fishing industry jobs fell by 2.1 percent, or about 178 jobs, in 2015, but overall levels are still at a historically high level.
Economists believe the decrease in jobs was primarily caused by groundfish harvests returning to historically typical levels after posting a spike in 2014.
Looking at other fishery jobs, the salmon industry leveled out with only a 1.4 percent increase in 2015 after strong growth in 2013. That slight increase still leaves employment in the salmon industry at record highs for 2015.
The Kenai Peninsula was included in the only two regions that gained jobs in 2015: Kodiak and Southcentral Alaska.
The Southcentral region, which includes Prince William Sound and Cook Inlet salmon fisheries along with a halibut fleet, had the second-highest employment.
Economist Joshua Warren says 77 percent of Southcentral’s harvesting jobs were in salmon fisheries in 2015. That employment grew steadily over the year and helped the commercial fishery end at a record 1,638 average annual jobs.
Warren stated in a report for November’s Alaska Economic Trends: “the gains in salmon employment, combined with minor growth in the region’s other fisheries, netted a 5.5 percent employment increase, or 85 additional jobs.”