The Bristol Bay red salmon catch is nearing 20 million fish and will likely go higher, the result of a strong run of more than 30 million fish. Reds were still surging into the region's five big rivers and should serve to boost the harvest beyond the forecast of nearly 22 million fish.
With so many salmon fisheries every summer all across Alaska, you might wonder why so much attention is focused on Bristol Bay. The answer is sockeye salmon.
Bristol Bay rivers are home to the largest red salmon runs in the world. Sockeye are by far Alaska's most valuable salmon fishery; well over one-third (sometimes as much as half) of the state's total salmon fishing earnings come from Bristol Bay. The bay also has the most fishermen, with more than 2,800 salmon permit holders.
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