Although a few fish are still being caught, the majority of Alaska’s commercial wild salmon fisheries have ended with the 2017 catch estimated at 224.6 million fish, according to preliminary harvest figures compiled by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G).
In value terms, ADF&G said this equates to an estimated ex-vessel value of USD 678.8 million (EUR 577.7 million), which represents a 66.7 percent increase on last year’s value and makes this year’s catch the third-highest in the last 42 years.
The 2017 statewide take was originally forecast at 204 million salmon.
Of this year’s total, sockeye salmon was again the most valuable species, accounting for 48 percent of the value at USD 326.1 million (EUR 277.5 million) and 23 percent of the harvest at 52.4 million fish.
The 2017 chum salmon harvest of 25.2 million fish was the largest harvest ever, while the ex-vessel value of USD 128.3 million (EUR 109.2 million) was the second-best on record. Chum accounted for 19 percent of the total value and 11 percent of the harvest.
Pink salmon accounted for 25 percent of the value at USD 169 million (EUR 143.8 million) and 63 percent of the harvest at 141.6 million fish. Coho salmon accounted for six percent of the value at USD 37.6 million (EUR 32 million) and 2 percent of the harvest at 5.1 million fish. The king salmon harvest was 251,141 fish with an estimated preliminary value of USD 17.8 million (EUR 15.1 million).
Bristol Bay enjoyed another great sockeye salmon season, with 37.7 million sockeye salmon valued at USD 209.9 million (EUR 178.6 million). Not to be outdone, new records were set by Norton Sound’s harvest of 191,000 coho salmon, Chignik’s seven million pink salmon harvest, and the Alaska Peninsula’s harvest of nearly 22 million pink salmon.
In terms of pounds of fish, the overall wild salmon harvest of 1.041 billion pounds was only the third time that the total exceeded one billion pounds.
