Alaska wild salmon fishing season begins, first catch meets expectations

The fishing season began first in the Copper River region, with 27,129 sockeye salmon and 1,080 Chinook salmon caught in the first 12 hours. ADF&G biologist Jeremy Botz stated: "We can't see a major trend yet, but sockeye salmon production is definitely lower than expected, and harsh marine conditions could be the reason for the decline."

In the first 12 hours of last year's fishing season, sockeye salmon catch reached 71,865 and Chinook salmon 1,828.

The Alaska fishing industry has high expectations for this season, previously projecting Copper River sockeye salmon catches could reach 1.92 million in 2025, far exceeding last year's 1.37 million.

U.S. processor Silver Bay was first to announce the base purchase price, with Copper River sockeye salmon priced at $7.00/lb.

Botz noted that due to market conditions, the attractiveness of Alaska wild salmon fishing permits has been declining annually over the past 15 years, with limited permit holders even choosing not to set out fishing immediately.

The ADF&G report shows that the 2024 season will see 3.19 million sockeye salmon caught in Prince William Sound, above the annual average, with the Copper River region catching 1.37 million, 54% higher than the 10-year average of 889,000. However, the 2024 Prince William Sound salmon fishing industry value is only $53 million, a 46% decrease from the 10-year average level.