Salmon notes

Here are a few observations from the young salmon season thus far.

• The statewide commercial catch as of this moment stands at 3.7 million salmon. More than 2 million of these are sockeye.

• The Copper River salmon fishery is struggling and currently stuck in a long closure amid lagging escapement. "The cumulative commercial harvest to date is 4,172 Chinook and 228,277 sockeye salmon," the Alaska Department of Fish and Game said yesterday in this advisory announcement.

• The first opener of the Southeast Alaska summer troll season will begin July 1 targeting about 81,300 treaty Chinook salmon, Fish and Game announced yesterday. Last year's first period quota was 36,500 treaty Chinook.