Bristol Bay Driftnet Permits Increase in Value

The value of Bristol Bay driftnet permits continues to increase.

The value placed on those permits by the Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission jumped up over $14,000 to about $117,000. That’s compared to the more than $102,000 dollars value recorded back in October. The November figure of about $117,000 is the largest value for Bristol Bay driftnet permits in over a year.

The Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission bases their value on the actual prices that permits are sold for but there is a lag, sometimes as much as a couple of months. A look around some of the brokerage sites shows quite a bit of variation in the prices for Bristol Bay driftnet permits.

For instance Alaska Boats and Permits in Homer has 4 drift permits listed for sale with prices ranging from $140,000 to about $185,000. Dock Street Brokers in Seattle confirms that a driftnet permit sold back in mid-October for $135,000 and they have a seller with a permit currently listed at $140,000.

While there appears to be quite a bit of momentum for higher driftnet permit prices the same can’t be said for setnet permits in Bristol Bay.

The November value placed on those permits by CFEC is about $36,000, which is unchanged from the value recorded back in October. That value is the lowest such value for Bristol Bay setnet permits in the last year. Alaska Boats and Permits in Homer has two setnet permits listed.

One has an asking price of $43,000 and the second has an asking price of $45,000. Dock Street Brokers has two setnet permits listed at $46,000 each. They have other Bristol Bay setnet permits listed with prices from $80,000 to $120,000. However, those permits come with sites and, in a couple of instances, gear.

Mike Mason is a reporter at KDLG in Dillingham.

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