Harvests of all five species of salmon in Prince William Sound rose by over 2 million fish during a seven days period ending on July 19, with the biggest catch increase in the sound’s general seine district.
The total harvest of 11.7 million salmon in Prince William Sound through that date included 6.5 million humpies, 3.3 million chums, 1.8 million sockeyes, and 12,000 king salmon, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game noted in its preliminary commercial salmon harvest report.
The statewide preliminary harvest total reached 63.6 million fish, up from 42 million fish a week earlier, including 33 million salmon delivered to Bristol Bay processors, as the run continued. ADF&G had forecast a harvest of 29.52 million salmon in Bristol Bay this year.
In the Prince William Sound general seine district, harvesters have now delivered a total of 5 million humpies, 311 chums and 56,000 red salmon, while the Prince William Sound hatchery total stood at 2.4 million fish, including 1.5 million humpies and 892,000 chums.
The Coghill District drift fleet boosted its season total to 1.9 million fish, up from 1.6 million last week, including 1.8 million chums, 66,000 sockeyes and 8,000 pink salmon. The Copper River District brought in an addition 80,000 sockeyes in the past week, with total deliveries how at 1,053,000 reds, 15,000 pinks, 12,000 kings and 5,000 chums.
The Eschamy district drift and set netters increased its harvest by 84,000 fish, putting its total at 734,000 salmon, including 604,000 sockeyes, 96,000 chums and 34,000 humpies. In the Montague District, the drift fleet increased its catch by 4,000 fish, with total deliveries now at 200,000 chums, 21,000 humpies and 3,000 reds.
Bristol Bay’s famed sockeyes, which arrived later than anticipated, meanwhile just kept on coming, in a steady flow that kept processors busy, but able to deal quickly with all deliveries.
Through July 19, the drift gillnet fleet had reached a harvest of more than 33,000 salmon, including 32,314,000 sockeyes, and counting, compared to the ADF&G harvest forecast of 29.52 million fish.
Processors announced a price of 75 cents a pound, plus 15 cents a pound extra for all fish held in refrigerated sea water or iced.
On the Lower Yukon, the catch rose from 492,000 to 631,000 fish, including 521,000 chums and 109,000 humpies, while Norton Sound, at 23,000 humpies a week earlier, saw no increase in its catch.
Cook Inlet rose from 950,000 to over 2 million fish, for a season total of 1.7 million reds, 273,000 humpies, 59,000 chums, 42,000 cohos and 8,000 kings.
Southeast Alaska’s harvest reached 5.9 million salmon, double from the previous week, including 2.5 million humpies, 2.3 million chums, 432,000 silvers, 334,000 reds and 230,000 kings.
The Alaska Peninsula total reached 7.7 million fish, up from 6.7 million fish, including more than 5 million salmon caught in the South Peninsula and 2.7 million salmon caught in North Peninsula waters. Overall Alaska Peninsula deliveries to processors reached 4.6 million sockeyes, 2.7 million humpies, 356,000 chums, 70,000 cohos and 7,000 Chinooks.
Chignik deliveries rose from 859,000 to more than 1 million fish, while at Kodiak, the harvest increased from 1 million to 1.6 million fish, including 958,000 sockeyes, 321,000 inks, 245,000 chums, 32,000 silvers and 5,000 kings.
