More than 345,641 fish have been caught during this year’s Copper River salmon run, as Alaskan fishermen hope to rebound from a dismal year in 2018. Of those, 326,357 were sockeye, 10,169 were Chinook, and 9,113 were chum.
After record lows last year, linked to abnormally cold water in what is typically Alaska’s first salmon fishery to open, the Alaskan Department of Fish and Game predicted a larger harvest compared to last year’s numbers. Last year’s harvest was the second-lowest in 120 years. This year though, Copper River Marketing Association Executive Director Christa Hoover said that she hoped to see 55,000 king salmon and around 1.5 million sockeye salmon return to the river.
“At the end of the day, I think I had to be happy,” said Bill Webber, a Cordova salmon fisherman who has been fishing on Copper River for 52 years. “The fish were definitely a little bigger than previous years, and it’s kind of almost looking like things might be back to normal.”
Last month, Alaska Airlines brought 68,000 pounds of fish to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on the season’s inaugural flight from Cordova, Alaska, fish which will be delivered to restaurants and stores across the nation.
In Seattle’s famed Pike Place Market, whole Copper River kings were retailing for USD 39.95 (EUR 35.47) per pound and USD 49.99 (EUR 44.39) per pound for king fillets. Copper River sockeyes were being sold for USD 99.95 (EUR 88.75) for a whole fish and USD 29.99 (EUR 26.63) per pound for filets.
In Alaska, Copper River sockeye filets were being offered for USD 13.99 (EUR 12.42) a pound at Costco stores in Anchorage, and shoppers were taking advantage of the low prices.
