The Alaska Department of Fish and Game on Friday predicted a modest Bristol Bay sockeye salmon harvest gain for the 2015 season, topping 40 million fish.
The department’s harvest forecast of 40.52 million fish would represent a 40 percent year-on-year increase, and a 45 percent increase over the previous ten-year average of 26.48 million fish. This year's harvest of 28.8 million sockeyes was 61 percent above the preseason forecast.
The department predicts that the entire Bristol Bay sockeye run will hit 53.98 million fish next year; a range of 44.83 million to 63.13 million. There are nine rivers that feed the bay (Alagnak, Togiak, Kvichak, Wood, Naknek, Igushik, Egegik, Ugashik and Nushagak).
The forecast, which employs methods that ADF&G says has “performed well” since 2001, covers four age classes of fish.
