Fewer salmon this year

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game has posted its statewide salmon forecast, and it calls for a much smaller salmon harvest this year.

A reduced catch could be just what the doctor ordered with the processing sector struggling. Those troubles could crimp prices for fishermen, but a tighter supply of fish might help boost demand.

Forecasters expect a commercial catch of nearly 136 million fish across all species. That would be a big drop from the 2023 total of 232 million.

The statewide sockeye harvest is projected at 39.5 million fish, with 26 million coming from Bristol Bay. That compares to last year's take of 52 million sockeye statewide, with Bristol Bay accounting for 40.6 million.

The pink salmon forecast of 69 million fish is less than half of last year's catch of 155 million.