Salmon notes

• This is a down year in terms of catch volume. With the fishing season substantially concluded, the statewide harvest stands at 87.2 million salmon. That's far below the state's preseason projection of 125.5 million. The last time Alaska's annual salmon harvest finished below 100 million fish was nearly four decades ago, in 1987.

• Much of the shortfall owes to a poor pink salmon harvest. About 56 million pinks were expected, but the industry thus far has taken only 38 million. Regionally, results vary widely. Kodiak has slightly exceeded projections with a catch of 12.8 million, while Prince William Sound is experiencing disaster with only 3.8 million pinks taken on a forecast of 18.6 million. Most Prince William Sound pinks come from hatcheries.

• The statewide sockeye harvest lags projections by 24 percent, and the chum harvest is 41 percent behind.

• On the bright side, the weak harvest appears to be boosting prices for commercial fishermen. For example, the Southeast Alaska purse seine harvest is expected to exceed the 2016-25 average value of $56.5 million, with the Department of Fish and Game reporting salmon prices are "substantially higher than they have been for many years."

• Southeast Alaska trollers were expected to reach the limit of 33,000 treaty Chinook salmon by the midnight Friday closure of the second summer opener. Based on reported average prices and weights, each Chinook is worth about $97.

The first million

As of this posting, Alaska's commercial salmon catch stands at 1.1 million fish.

The season is just getting started, and the state is forecasting a total harvest of 125.5 million salmon once the fishing year is done.

You can track the catch on the Alaska Department of Fish and Game's Blue Sheet.

Salmon notes

• The statewide harvest of all salmon species now tops 180 million fish. But the industry isn't likely to reach the preseason forecast of 215 million, largely because pink salmon catches have been disappointing. State forecasters predicted a catch of 138 million pinks, but the tally here at season's end is only about 110 million. Two of the state's main pink-producing zones — Prince William Sound and Southeast Alaska — are finishing well below forecast, while Kodiak's catch is said to be above average.

• The current run size estimate for Fraser River sockeye is 9.3 million fish, three times the preseason forecast. But catches by all user groups remain conservative, totaling just over 1.1 million, according to the latest Fraser River Panel weekly report.

Salmon notes

• The statewide, all-species commercial salmon harvest now stands at more than 155 million fish, with catches continuing. The total harvest is expected to exceed 200 million once fisheries finish up this fall.

• Gov. Mike Dunleavy, you'll recall, offered legislation this year to allow limited finfish farming in Alaska. The bill is still pending. The governor, in a recent post on X, had this to say: "Alaska is a leader in fresh caught wild salmon. We could also be a leader in the farmed salmon industry. Why not do both instead of importing farmed salmon from Scotland?"

• Fraser River sockeye are coming in much stronger than expected. "The total Fraser sockeye adopted run size is now 10,175,000," says the latest Fraser River Panel regulatory announcement.

Salmon notes

• The statewide salmon catch has eclipsed 100 million fish. Sockeye dominated the first half of the season with the catch now exceeding 50 million. The focus going forward will be pink salmon, with the harvest currently at 38 million fish. The preseason forecast called for a total statewide catch of nearly 215 million salmon this year.

• Thus far this season, we've seen no commercial catch of sockeye at British Columbia's Fraser River. Here's the latest weekly report from the Pacific Salmon Commission's Fraser River Panel.

• Aug. 10 is Alaska Wild Salmon Day! The state Legislature in 2016 passed an act establishing the annual observance.

Salmon notes

Here's a quick update as the Alaska salmon season continues to unfold.

• The statewide commercial catch now exceeds 2.8 million salmon, including 1.4 million sockeye and 1.2 million chums. These totals are small — we won't see really big numbers until the Bristol Bay sockeye fishery and the pink salmon fisheries kick in later in the summer. The state has forecast a total haul of 214.6 million salmon for this season.

• The first opener of the Southeast Alaska summer troll season will begin July 1 targeting about 36,500 treaty Chinook salmon, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced today. That's way down from last year's initial quota of 64,700 Chinook.

Salmon notes

Here's an update on the 2024 season, which is all but done.

• This will finish as a poor season, at least in terms of harvest volume. The statewide, all-species catch stands at 96.2 million fish. The season likely will finish with a harvest under 100 million for the first time in 37 years, since 1987, when the tally was 96.5 million.

• The Prince William Sound purse seine fishery closes today, perhaps appropriately on Friday the 13th. It's been a nightmare year for seiners with a catch of less than 5 million pink salmon, far below forecast. Expect pleas for disaster relief coming out of Cordova.

• Alaska never has produced many salmon north of the Arctic Circle, but this season's production was particularly paltry at Kotzebue. "The 2024 commercial harvest of 5,392 chum salmon was below the 1962-2023 average harvest of 231,196 chum salmon and the poorest harvest since the state started managing the Kotzebue District in 1962," the Alaska Department of Fish and Game reports.

• It wasn't gloomy everywhere this season. On Aug. 12, OBI Seafoods blew the cannery steam whistle in Petersburg to mark 100,000 cases of canned salmon produced.

Salmon notes

Here are a few interesting items as the salmon season steams ahead.

• The statewide commercial salmon harvest stands at just over 70 million fish. The preseason forecast called for a harvest of 135.6 million fish this year. That could be unattainable with the pink salmon harvest lagging badly, especially in Prince William Sound.

• It appears Southeast Alaska trollers might be denied a second summer opener and the chance to catch 15,000 highly valuable Chinook salmon. The Alaska Trollers Association is livid.

• Juneau-based Alaska Glacier Seafoods has acquired Triad Fisheries for an undisclosed price. Triad, based in Sitka the past 16 years, works with a group of independent hook-and-line, frozen-at-sea boats primarily fishing king and coho salmon in Southeast Alaska, with the catch marketed under the Bruce Gore brand.

• Saturday, Aug. 10, is Alaska Wild Salmon Day!

Salmon notes

The Alaska salmon season is entering the homestretch.

• The statewide commercial harvest has reached 150 million fish. This year's preseason forecast of 160.6 million appears within reach.

• The sockeye harvest stands at 74 million, right on forecast.

• The pink salmon harvest stands at 63.2 million, only 4 million shy of forecast.

• NOAA Fisheries has posted an interesting article, What's Behind Chinook and Chum Salmon Declines in Alaska?

200-million milestone

Late-season scratch fishing has succeeded in pushing the statewide commercial salmon harvest above 200 million fish.

This is the eighth year Alaska has reached the 200-million milestone. The previous years were:

2013     280.3 million
2015     265.2 million
2017     222.8 million
2005     221.2 million
1999     216.5 million
1995     216.0 million
2007     212.6 million

Salmon notes

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

• The statewide, all-species catch now exceeds 105 million fish. Of these, more than 49 million are sockeyes. But pink salmon catches are soon expected to eclipse sockeye catches. The state has projected a total commercial harvest this year of about 204 million salmon.

• The Bristol Bay season is essentially over, and it'll go down as a strong year. The sockeye catch stands at 37.5 million fish, or 10 million above the preseason forecast of 27.5 million. Major processors sent gillnetters home with a base price of $1 per pound, up from 76 cents last year and 50 cents in 2015.

• Dillingham radio station KDLG has an interesting story about workplace complaints at the Silver Bay Seafoods processing plant in Naknek.

Now we're rolling

The statewide salmon catch has topped 100 million fish, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game reports.

The forecast calls for a harvest of 133 million salmon for the year.

Follow the daily tally here.

Staggering

Alaska's all-species commercial salmon catch has now eclipsed 250 million fish, and the pink salmon harvest alone is over 200 million.