Through the end of July, the commercial salmon fishery in the Copper River District was open 96 hours more than the recent 10-year average, yet the sockeye salmon harvest of 1.14 million fish came in 22 percent below the previous 10-year average.
According to the preliminary 2016 Prince William Sound salmon season summary compiled by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, the preseason commercial harvest forecast for the Copper River District was for 21,000 Chinook, 1.62 million sockeye and 201,000 coho salmon. The Gulkana Hatchery was projected to contribute 169,000 reds to the commercial common property fishery harvest.
The celebrated fishery opened on May 16. Through the end of July, all those openers added up to 756 hours, which was 96 hours more than the recent 10-year average, from 2006 through 2015, when the average harvest was 1.46 million fish.
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