August 16, 2013 — Alaska is having a banner salmon season, led by a blockbuster catch of pink salmon. The statewide harvest now exceeds 211 million fish.
Here are a few notes as the season enters the stretch run.
• A record 77.6 million pinks have been taken in Prince William Sound. This includes 74.1 million in the general seine fishery and 3.5 million in hatchery cost recovery fisheries. Based on run timing, state biologists project a final catch of 90.9 million.
• Seiners in Southeast Alaska also are setting records for weekly catches of pink salmon. Fishery managers say the final tally could top 70 million.