While the Copper River District is still closed to commercial and sport salmon fishing, and is on par to have its second-worst season in a half century, other districts in Alaska are delivering more encouraging numbers.
The statewide harvest estimate, delivered by the Alaskan Department of Fish and Game has actually grown, even though some districts are producing less than stellar numbers. As more districts in the state have become open for the season, the number provided by ADF&G has now grown to 15,482,000 fish, which can be broken down to more than 11 million sockeye, four million chum, 356,000 humpies, 81,000 kings and 3,000 cohos.
The salmon harvest from Prince William Sound has produced some 2.7 million fish so far this year, according to a 2 July report from the Cordova Times. And the chum harvest in the Coghill District of Prince William Sound and the sockeye harvest in the Eshamy District of the Sound are both expected to be better than the respective estimates of 933,000 chum and 570,000 sockeye.
Biologists with the Department of Fish and Game are keeping a close eye on the Copper River water levels and sockeye run entry. While the scientists say that the daily number of sockeye swimming upstream is increasing, sonar detection of fish at Miles Lake is significantly below the target for that point in the river. If the numbers continue to stay where they are, it will serve as a strong argument against reopening the river for sockeye fishing this season. Part of the reason scientists believe run numbers are so low is because water levels on the river are extremely high.
In the western region of the state, which includes Kodiak and the Alaskan Peninusla, more than 2.1 million fish have been harvested, including more than a million sockeye, 692,000 chum, 348,000 pinks and 6,000 Chinooks.
Photo courtesy of C. Watts/Flickr
