Commercial Salmon Fishing

Most vacationers and sportsmen who go salmon fishing are satisfied if they catch one sizeable salmon in a day or two of fishing. While single reel cast fishing is often the most rewarding way to fish, it is by no means the most efficient. Indeed, the market price of salmon would be astronomical if every fish were captured by sporting means.

Less Sport, More Food
The amount of effort it takes to catch a single salmon was recognized long ago, and native cultures pioneered fishing techniques that would increase their haul. The most successful of these was fishing with large nets that catch the salmon either at sea or in the rivers. Early nets were woven from hair, grasses, and other natural fibers.

Today, bulk fishing is still done with large nets--but our nets are even bigger, and made mostly of strong synthetic materials. These commercial fishing methods are effective ways of bringing large catches, effectively keeping down cost of labor and equipment to make wild salmon an affordable food. However, given the ease with which these methods can yield huge catches, there are many regulations in place to keep the salmon populations viable.

After the near-extinction of the wild Atlantic Salmon from overfishing, environmentalists and fishermen put their heads together to make sure that the same fate does not befall the Pacific Salmon. In an international effort, fishing treaties were signed by nearly all North Pacific nations to ensure that each nation gets a fair share of salmon while keeping the populations at a level whereat they can replenish themselves each year. Thus, there are many restrictions placed on commercial salmon fishing, which are enforced strictly by agencies from many countries.