Copper River King Salmon Return Higher than Expected; Sockeye Far Less
SEAFOODNEWS.COM [KUAC]By Dan Bross with material from John Sackton June 8, 2017
The Copper River king salmon return is coming in better than forecast.
Predicted to be the weakest on record, at about 29,000 kings, Alaska Department of Fish and Game Upper Copper River management biologist Mark Somerville says the forecast is being questioned –given recent week’s king harvest by commercial fishers on the river’s delta.
“Even under a restricted area and time the commercial fishery has caught over eight thousand king salmon, which is unexpected and indicates that the return may be higher than we anticipated,” Somerville said.
According to Somerville, the better than expected commercial king harvest is supported by data from a mark...
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