CORDOVA, Ala. – The Copper River Prince William Sound salmon season is underway. The salmon are bright and robust and the commercial harvest, which has been consistent throughout the summer, will continue into September.
Alaska’s pristine Prince William Sound, home to more than 550 drift and set gillnet permit holders, is one of the country’s premier yet best kept secrets when it comes to seafood resources. The Sound, which sits west of the Copper River Delta off the Gulf of Alaska, is a protected water system that boasts a complex coastline, glacier-hewn fjords, rainforest-blanketed islands, and an array of marine life. Each year, the region boasts an annual harvest of more than 55 million fish with fishermen harvesting all five species of Pacific salmon—king, sockeye, keta, pink and coho.
According to Christa Hoover, Executive Director of the Copper River Prince William Sound Marketing Association, “The salmon being delivered to the processors in Cordova have been beautiful. I’ve been visiting the processors weekly and am impressed with the quality of the salmon our fleet is bringing in from Prince William Sound. The fish have been bright and appear larger than the past few years. The focus has been on Prince William Sound sockeye and keta this month, and as we move into August and September our fleet will target Coho, another great salmon for the domestic retail market.”
Giant Eagle, a supermarket chain based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is featuring fresh Prince William Sound sockeye at their seafood counters right now and will also be offering Copper River Coho to customers when it arrives in August and September.
For cooking inspiration, Hoover suggests recipes on the Prince William Sound website or Giant Eagle website. For further inspiration, Hoover also suggests recent coverage of Prince William Sound featured on Chef’s Roll.
About CR/PWS MA:
The Copper River/Prince William Sound Marketing Association, a fisherman funded regional seafood development association, works on behalf of the 500 plus commercial salmon fishermen of Coastal South-Central Alaska. The association works to build brand awareness and consumer preference for wild Copper River king, sockeye and coho as well as Prince William Sound sockeye, keta, and pink salmon.
