Alaska salmon harvest topping forecast

The Alaska commercial salmon harvest has already topped pre-season forecasts, as 145.7 million fish have been landed, ahead of the 132.8 million prediction by the Alaska Department of Fish & Game.

The star of the season is clearly sockeye, or red salmon. A total of 42.8 million fish have been caught, 27 percent ahead of the projection and 46 percent more than last year’s total. Even king salmon, or chinook, landings in the state have been better than forecasted, as 477,000 fish have been landed, beating the state’s 298,000-fish prediction.

Coho and chum salmon landings are behind last year’s pace: 3.8 million cohos is behind the 4.3 million-fish forecast and 28 percent lower than last year's total, while the 9.2 million-fish tally for chums is 53 percent lower than the forecast and well behind the 18.5 million fish landed in 2013.

Lastly, pink salmon landings are surprisingly ahead of the forecasted pace, with 89.3 million fish landed. That is roughly 20 percent ahead of the forecast but only 41 percent of last year’s banner harvest of 219.1 million fish.

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