Alaska’s commercial wild salmon catch for 2017 was nearing 207 million fish by the end of week 35, according to the latest in-season harvest figures compiled by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G), meaning the statewide take has now surpassed the 204 million forecast.
In terms of species, the catch to date comprised 51.8 million sockeye, 129.1 million pinks, 22 million chum, 3.7 million coho and 245,000 king salmon.
The contribution from the Bristol Bay area to date totaled 39.3 million salmon, including 37.7 million sockeye, 1.4 million chum, 172,000 coho, 34,000 pinks and 39,000 kings. Nushagak District provided the largest catch with 13.1 million salmon, followed by the Egegik District and the Naknek-Kvichak District and with 11.9 million and 8.2 million salmon respectively.
The Cook Inlet fisheries have supplied almost 4.7 million salmon, including 2.1 million sockeye, 1.9 million pinks, 400,000 chum, 285,000 coho and 8,000 kings. Prince William Sound’s commercial catch so far of 52.7 million salmon comprised 45.7 million pinks, 5.4 million chum, 1.4 million sockeye, 141,000 coho and 13,000 king salmon.
For the Arctic Yukon Kuskokwim Region, the catch has exceeded 1.9 million salmon, including more than 1.6 million chum.
In Southeast Alaska, the commercial salmon harvest stands at more than 43.1 million fish, including 31.5 million pinks, 8.8 million chum and 166,000 kings. Alaska’s Western region, meanwhile, has to date reported a commercial catch of 65.1 million salmon, including almost 50 million pinks, 10 million sockeye, 4.4 million chum and 19,000 kings.
