Sunday, June 10, 2012

1,000,000 and counting

Copper River gillnetters already have had a fine year, and we're only a little over three weeks into the season.

The sockeye catch has now surpassed 1 million fish.

But the harvest rate has cooled off, with the last couple of openers producing fewer sockeye than forecast.

The Copper River District opens again at 7 a.m. Monday for a 36-hour period.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

The Copper River is a very good example of ADF&G managing a natural resource according to Article VIII of the state constitution, which provides for
"the utilization, development, and conservation of all natural resources...for the maximum benefit of it's people.."

Except that the Anchorage area isn't the only part of Alaska that's important. If ADF&G can provide for the Copper River that which is needed on the Yukon River, and, other Western Alaska rivers with salmon on the "Stocks of Concern" list, then ADF&G should be held accountable for the restoration of the valuable King Salmon wherever the stock is declining drastically. The constitution requires them to.

Anonymous said...

lots of sockeyes, but where are the chinooks. Not in the copper, or most every other river in the state except maybe a couple. And how many of the sockeye being harvested are hatchery fish? Will the Dept ever disclose that information. I doubt it.

Anonymous said...

All they have to do is look at the otoliths to see if they are from the Gulkana Hatchery or not, as all of their fish are marked. They do take samples but I have no idea if the information is public or not.

Anonymous said...

What is the price now?

Anonymous said...

They mark the otoliths for a purpose so I don't see why this information shouldn't be shared with the public because the public is charged with guiding the management. People forget that the government agencies work for us, the people. They are not an entity on their own even though they act as if they are. Yes, they can fool and manipulate the public if the public is ignorant.

Anonymous said...

Anon at 08:47
Have you considering calling and asking ADF&G about hatchery fish in the Copper River? Or have you considered looking at their reports on the Copper River/PWS web page to find out about the timing of Gulkana Hatchery fish in the harvest?

Anonymous said...

Exactly -- this is all very transparent, people. Go to PWSAC's Web-site, too. No one's hiding anything when it comes to Gulkana Hatchery fish being harvested on the Copper.