Good News for the Alaskan Salmon Season

Alaska salmon catch up in ‘09

By SeafoodSource staff
11/18/2009 2:22:08 PM - The numbers are in, and Alaska’s 2009 salmon harvest turned out to be the 11th largest since the state’s inception 50 years ago.
Fishermen caught 161.7 million salmon this year, up 15 million fish from 2008, according to preliminary figures released on Monday by the Alaska Department of Fish & Game (ADF&G). However, the 2009 harvest was down 14 million fish from the pre-season forecast and 11 million fish from the 10-year average.
As for the value, the 2009 harvest came in at USD 370.1 million (EUR 247.6 million), up from the 10-year average of USD 308 million (EUR 206.1 million).
Here’s a breakdown of all five Pacific salmon species:
• Alaska’s sockeye landings totaled 43.3 million fish worth USD 207.2 million, or USD 0.80 per pound, in 2009, compared to 39 million fish worth USD 190.6 million, or USD 0.84 per pound, in 2008.
• Pink landings reached 96 million fish worth USD 68.5 million, or USD 0.22 per pound, in 2009, compared to 84.1 million fish worth USD 103.4 million, or USD 0.35 per pound, in 2008.
• Chum landings totaled 17.9 million fish worth USD 57.4 million, or USD 0.44 per pound, in 2009, compared to 18.3 million fish worth USD 87.1 million, or USD 0.59 per pound, in 2008.
• Coho landings reached 4.1 million fish worth USD 23.6 million, or USD 0.86 per pound, in 2009, compared to 4.5 million fish worth USD 45.2 million, or USD 1.28 per pound, in 2008.
• Chinook landings totaled 359,000 fish worth USD 13.5 million, or USD 2.62 per pound, in 2009, compared to 376,000 fish worth USD 25.6 million, or USD 4.54 per pound, in 2008.
ADF&G will revise the preliminary figures and publish the final numbers early next year.