Wild Alaska salmon catches climbed to 18.3 million statewide by Independence Day, with the biggest increase coming in Bristol Bay, where harvesters were still awaiting for the surge of sockeyes for which the run is famous.
Just a year ago the late run into Bristol Bay showed strength in the second week of July, and fishermen were hoping for more of the same.
Statewide the catch jumped from 10.6 million to 18.3 million fish, including 11.5 million sockeyes, 3.3 million chums, 3.2 million pinks, 161,000 Chinooks and 27,000 cohos, up from 5.4 million reds, 2.5 million humpies, 2.5 million chums, 137,000 kings and 10,000 silvers on June 28.
The preliminary Alaska commercial salmon harvest totals are compiled daily by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.
In just a week, the salmon catch climbed from 624,000 to 1.9 million fish in Egegik district, from 22,000 to 996,000 in the Naknek-Kvichak district, from 1.1 million to 3 million in the Nushagak district, from 18,000 to 74,000 in Togiak district, and from 204,000 to 860,000 in the Ugashi district.
In Prince William Sound, the number of salmon delivered to processors rose from 732,000 to 887,000 for the Copper River drift fleet, from 562,000 to 739,000 for the Coghill drift fleet, from 287,000 to 480,000 for the Eshamy district drift and set netters, from 137,000 to 178,000 for the Montague district drift fleet, from 222,000 to 415,000 for Prince William Sound general seine fleet, and from 657,000 to 955,000 for the Prince William Sound hatchery sector.
Cook Inlet harvests rose from 106,000 to 198,000 salmon for the same period.
On the Lower Yukon River, the chum salmon catch increased from 202,000 to 232,000 fish. On the Alaska Peninsula, processors had deliveries totaling 5.4 million salmon, up from 4.2 million salmon a week earlier.
Chignik’s catch rose from 546,000 to 704,000 fish, and Kodiak’s harvest from 472,000 to 549,000 fish.
Fresh wild Alaska salmon entrees were seafood menu items all over the Seattle and Anchorage areas and residents were also stocking up for their homes as prices dropped.
Seattle’s famed Pike Place Fish Market was advising customers online that with the Copper River salmon season winding down to call ahead to assure orders.
Pike Place was offering whole fresh Copper River sockeyes for $55.96 apiece, and fresh Copper River sockeye fillets for $23.99 a pound, while advising a phone call to check on the availability of fresh Copper River kings both whole and as fillets.
Pike Place had fresh whole other wild Alaska king salmon for $22.99 a pound and fresh wild Alaska king fillets for $37.99 a pound.
At 10th & M Seafoods in Anchorage, fresh wild sockeye fillets were priced online at $8.95 a pound, fresh wild king salmon steaks at $13.95 a pound, fresh wild king salmon fillets for $16.95 a pound and fresh wild sockeye steaks for $7.95 a pound.
FishEx, also online in Anchorage, was offering fresh Alaska king salmon fillets for $36.95 a pound, fresh premium portions of king salmon fillets for $42.95 a pound, and fresh premium portions of Copper River sockeye fillets for $46.95 a pound,
Fred Meyer supermarkets in the Anchorage area were selling fresh wild sockeye fillets for $9.99 a pound, while Carrs supermarkets had wild red salmon fillets at $9.76 a pound for Carrs card members.
