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.

Salmon notes

• The Bristol Bay catch now stands at 23.6 million sockeye toward a preseason harvest forecast of 32.3 million.

• Dillingham radio station KDLG has a report on the Northline Seafoods freezer barge and its alliance this season with Silver Bay Seafoods. Listen to it here.

• The Southeast Alaska summer Chinook troll fishery appears to be progressing slowly and will remain open "until further notice," the Alaska Department of Fish and Game said yesterday. "Based on landed catch and reported harvest onboard freezer vessels to date, less than 40,000 of the 83,700 Chinook salmon allocation has been harvested over the first 10 days of the fishery."

• Looking farther south, to Canada, the forecasted run size for Fraser River sockeye is 7.7 million fish, the Pacific Salmon Commission reports.

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.

A big boost for Southeast Alaska trollers

The preseason troll treaty harvest allocation for this year is 146,000 Chinook, or more than 53,000 fish above the limit in 2025, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game said in this advisory announcement.

Another opportunity for trollers

Southeast Alaska trollers will get a fourth summer opener beginning just after midnight Thursday, with 5,400 treaty Chinook available, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game said in an advisory announcement.

Each permit holder will be allocated 15 Chinook for the 10-day opener.

The third summer opener ran from Aug. 24 through Sept. 2, with 331 permit holders taking about 4,400 Chinook, the department said.

Salmon notes

• The Southeast Alaska summer troll fishery will see a third opener beginning just after midnight tonight, with about 6,800 treaty Chinook up for grabs. Each troll permit holder will be allocated 18 Chinook for the 10-day fishery.

• The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the purchase of nearly $877,000 in canned pink salmon from Silver Bay Seafoods for the McGovern-Dole Food for Education Program.

• British Columbia activists behind a campaign known as Alaska's Dirty Secret are again accusing Southeast Alaska fishermen of intercepting, or "stealing," Canadian salmon. They've posted this video.

17 Chinook per permit

Two trollers at work. Pacific Fishing magazine archival photo

The second summer Chinook opener for Southeast Alaska trollers will begin just after midnight Friday, with each permit to be allocated 17 fish, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced today.

Trollers will have 10 days to catch their salmon.

Overall, about 9,000 treaty Chinook remain up for grabs — a number too small for a competitive fishery. Thus, the department is going with equal shares of 17 Chinook per registered permit.

The first summer opener, in early July, produced a catch of 44,797 Chinook. The fish averaged 10.8 pounds and paid an average of $8.07 per pound.

Salmon notes

• The Bristol Bay salmon harvest stands at nearly 38 million fish, with daily catches now appearing to slow significantly. Deckboss still hasn't heard anything regarding ex-vessel prices.

• Southeast trollers will get a second summer Chinook opener next month, but the available quota won't be enough for a competitive fishery. So, the Department of Fish and Game plans to divide the quota among registered permit holders. After Aug. 1, the department will announce the number of Chinook per permit, and the dates for the planned 10-day opener.

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.

A big cut for Southeast Alaska trollers

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game today announced a preseason troll treaty harvest allocation for 2025 of 92,700 Chinook salmon, down 39 percent or 60,300 fish from last year.

Potential victory for the troll fishery

The federal government has released documents that could put an end to the Wild Fish Conservancy's lawsuit challenging the Southeast Alaska salmon troll fishery.

Here's an Alaska Department of Fish and Game press release that explains further.

Twelve more for trollers

Southeast Alaska trollers are getting a shot at 4,000 additional treaty Chinook salmon.

A 10-day fishery opens after midnight tonight, with 12 Chinook allocated per permit, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced.

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!

Summer troll fishery set

The summer troll fishery will open July 1 targeting 64,700 treaty Chinook salmon, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced today.

That's a considerable drop-off from last year's opening period target of 74,800 treaty Chinook.

What about disaster funding for trollers?

The Alaska Trollers Association has posted an update.

A few extra fish for Southeast Alaska trollers

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game today announced a preseason troll treaty harvest allocation for 2024 of 153,000 Chinook salmon, up 3,900 from last year.

Addressing the court's concerns

The National Marine Fisheries Service is grinding through a tedious process that, once complete, could form a bulwark against the lawsuit aiming to shut down the Southeast Alaska salmon troll fishery.

In the hatch

The first opener of the Southeast Alaska summer troll fishery closes at midnight tonight, with the fleet expected to reach the full quota of 77,100 Chinook.

Troll fishery set

Southeast Alaska salmon trollers will go after 74,800 treaty Chinook starting July 1.

Troll legal battle

For important updates, revisit our May 2 post on the Wild Fish Conservancy court case, which is threatening to shut down this summer's Southeast Alaska troll Chinook fishery.