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Copper River sockeye fishery booming

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By Steven Hedlund, SeafoodSource editor
24 May, 2012 - It’s a big one, at least for sockeye.

The Alaska Department of Fish & Game (ADF&G) on Wednesday reported that Monday’s 12-hour Copper River salmon opener, the fishery’s second, shattered the projection for sockeye but fell shy of the forecast for chinook.

According to the agency, the fishery produced 1,300 chinook and 219,000 sockeye on Monday, compared to an expected 3,455 chinook and 94,000 sockeye.

The fishery — the unofficial start of Alaska’s summer salmon season — opened last Thursday at 7 a.m. to the usual fanfare, including a ceremony and cook-off at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Friday, and demand for early-season fish has been strong. Thursday’s harvest yielded 1,100 kings and 155,000 sockeye, compared to an anticipated 2,100 kings and 32,000 sockeye.

The fishery’s third 12-hour opener is set for Thursday at 7 a.m.

Click here to read this week’s market report on Copper River salmon, available only to SeafoodSource premium members > 

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