Our Mission
To undertake scientific research and management that will foster economic and social benefits to the residents and communities of Bristol Bay to ensure sustainability of the region's renewable natural resources with an emphasis on its fish stocks and fisheries.
The Bristol Bay Science and Research Institute (BBSRI) is a 501.C.3. non-profit organization focused on fisheries research in the Bristol Bay region of southwest Alaska.
We are a subsidiary of the Bristol Bay Economic Development Corporation (BBEDC), which is one of the Community Development Quota (CDQ) Program groups created to provide economic and social benefits to coastal western Alaskan villages through investment in the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands fisheries.
About BBSRI
Map of CDQ areas and villages, courtesy of WACDA
Our Role
The Institute works closely with resource managers, the fishing industry, municipalities, and communities to help improve the management of area fish stocks and other natural resources.
Over the years, BBSRI has brought financial and technical resources, and focus to important topics and research needs that typically "fall between the cracks" of agencies with declining budgets and/or constrained by narrow mandates.
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For example, the State of Alaska is responsible for ensuring that the Bay salmon fishery provides a sustainable catch over time, but no state or federal agency has a mandate to ensure economic vitality of the fishery. Stemming directly from its mission, much of BBSRI's work over the last 20 years has been toward fostering the economic health and vitality of the region and its residents.
BBSRI conducts applied research and resource monitoring, contracts with universities and others, and assists agencies with securing funding to assist them with carrying out their missions to the extent BBSRI's mission is also addressed.