Juneau, Alaska: The summer harvest season for wild Alaska salmon officially opens tomorrow, May 15. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADFG) has forecast a total harvest of 133.1 million fish, with a breakdown of 538,000 king, 33.6 million sockeye, 4.4 million coho, 19.9 million keta, and 74.7 million pink salmon.
This season follows the largest Alaska salmon harvest on record. The 2013 harvest exceeded the ADFG prediction by 58%, largely due to a massive harvest of pink salmon, the most abundant of the five species. ADFG biologists make quantitative harvest forecasts based on previous spawning levels, subsequent fry abundance, spring seawater temperatures, and historical harvest data. Fishery managers work to monitor salmon run strength and adjust harvest opportunities during the season and ensure enough salmon return to natal streams to sustain future runs.
The summer salmon season kicks off with the arrival of king and sockeye in the Copper River, with other fisheries seeing returns throughout the summer and continuing into September.
Alaska salmon accounts for over 90% of all wild salmon in North America. Like all seafood harvested in the state, Alaska salmon is always wild, natural, and sustainable. While most Alaska salmon is harvested during summer openings, Alaska troll-caught king salmon is harvested year round. Alaska seafood creates more jobs than any other private sector industry in the state, and over half of those jobs depend on salmon. Commercial salmon fishing is a treasured way-of-life handed down through generations, directly employing over 38,000 hard working men and women.
About Alaska Seafood
The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) is a partnership of the State of Alaska and the Alaska seafood industry. ASMI works to promote the benefits of wild and sustainable Alaska seafood and offer seafood industry education.
For more than 50 years, Alaska has been dedicated to sustainable seafood. We're proud of our leadership in sustainable management, which has led to an ever-replenishing supply of wild seafood for markets around the world. For more information, please visit www.alaskaseafood.org.
Source: Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI)
