Fresh fillets of wild Alaska salmon were still high in retail demand on the first days of August, with commercial harvesters in Prince William Sound having delivered 33.8 million salmon and the statewide count at more than 111 million fish.
Gillnetters and seiners continue to deliver their harvest in the Cordova area and the rest of Prince William Sound, while the statewide commercial salmon harvest has reached 50% of the projected annual total. As the sockeye season closes, the harvest effort is now shifting to pink and keta fisheries.
As of August. 6, the total preliminary regional harvest for Prince William Sound compiled by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game showed a total of 1.2 million sockeyes, 28 million pinks, 4.5 million chum, 24,000 coho, and 6,316 kings.
The statewide preliminary commercial salmon catch stood at 112.2 million fish – including 50.9 million sockeyes, 47 million pinks, 13.5 million chum, 670,000 coho, and 146,000 kings.
About 15 million pink salmon were harvested statewide during statistical week 31, said Simon Marks, who writes the in-season weekly commercial salmon updates at McKinley Research Group on behalf of the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute. The increase in weekly volume puts harvests back on the expected upward trajectory following a dip in week 30 production, Marks said.
Total statewide harvest remains 33% below 2023 levels.
Keta harvests peaked in week 28, following the timing of past seasons. Statewide harvest has exceeded the five-year average so far this year.
Marks noted that coho harvests are 36% above 2024 levels, and on par with the five-year average. Coho harvests typically peak around statistical week 35, and results in these early weeks indicate annual harvest will meet the projection of 2.4 million fish, he said.
Projected Chinook salmon harvests have declined for several years. Statistical week 31 harvest is 61% below 2024. Following this decline, regulatory actions have been taken to help further manage chinook populations, leading to lower volume harvests in many regions, Marks said.
Retail prices for Alaska sockeyes remained high in some areas, but began to lower in others. Sockeye fillets were still $39.99 a pound at Carrs-Safeway, but store card holders could purchase theirs for $17.99 a pound.
Fred Meyer shoppers were paying $15.99 a pound for fillets and New Sagaya shoppers $13.99 a pound. Costo warehouses had the best deal of the week, fresh sockeye fillets for $12.99 a pound.
