The overall commercial catch of pink salmon in Southeast Alaska is falling short of the pre-season forecast but it’s not as low as last year’s run. In fact, some parts of the panhandle have seen strong humpy catches.
The steam whistle blew August 11 at Icicle Seafoods’ Petersburg Fisheries plant, marking 100-thousand cases of canned pink salmon. It’s not something that happens every year and didn’t last year, according to PFI plant manager Patrick Wilson. He calls the season “nothing to write home about” but says the plant has been keeping busy canning pinks. Pinks are caught mainly by the region’s purse seine fleet and many are canned or frozen. PFI was the only cannery operating in Petersburg this year with Ocean Beauty opting to process frozen pinks at its plant in Excursion Inlet.
Regionwide, by the fourth week in August, the commercial catch had totaled nearly 24 million pinks, well below the Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s forecast going into the season.
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