Lanie Welch

By and large, Alaska fishermen pursuing king salmon, halibut and sablefish are fetching fabulous early-season prices.

More Alaska fishermen are proving that it pays to work together to enhance and promote their own seafood harvests. In 2005, the Legislature approved a unique concept that allows fishermen in 12 areas to form Regional Seafood Development Associations, and vote to fund them through a self-tax on their catches.

Americans ate slightly less seafood last year, and their favorites have remained largely the same for nearly a decade.

Lackluster best describes Alaska's salmon season so far, and catches are likely to come up short when it's all over. Fishery managers projected a 132 million salmon harvest for 2007, but catches totaled just 66 million fish in late July, past the midpoint of the season.