Alaska salmon harvest 2023

[Deepaaaar]

On a whim, I looked into the 2023 salmon harvest in AK and... well... am I the only one who finds this somewhat shocking?

From AK fish and game (https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=commercialbyfisherysalmon.bluesheetsummary):

Dated Sept. 1:

"Most salmon fisheries statewide are winding down. Total commercial salmon harvest to date is 186,000 Chinook (1,000 fish harvest last week), 17.9 million chum (1.3 million fish harvest last week), 1.5 million coho (300,000 fish harvest last week), 145.3 million pink (12.1 million fish harvest last week), and 49.9 million sockeye salmon (300,000 fish last week) for a total harvest through September 1 of 215 million salmon.

Statewide salmon harvest has exceeded the preseason forecast by 26 million fish.

Harvest to date is well above last year (2022 harvest: 156.6 million fish), due to strong chum and odd-year pink salmon catches. Harvest to date also exceeds 2021 (213 million fish) and the most recent 5-year average (158 million fish)."

Given what we know about chinook range, wouldn't it be likely that the other species originating in BC spend time in AK waters, too? I know I ought to be looking at long term trends to get an understanding, but it's wild to me that 150-220 million fish are removed from the ecosystem every year.

 

[searun]

In 2021, over 700,000 sockeye salmon were caught in southeast Alaskan interception fisheries, the majority coming from Canadian streams.

Nearly 28 million pink salmon were caught in these same fisheries in Alaska, with an unknown proportion being of Canadian origin.

Over 1.1 million chum salmon were also caught in interception fisheries, and while many of these were produced in Alaskan hatcheries, the catch also caught a significant number of North Coast and Central chum salmon from populations of conservation concern.

Over 200,000 chinook were harvested, the vast majority from B.C. and Washington. (97%)

An additional unknown number of Chinook and steelhead were caught and released (almost certainly dead) in seine fisheries. 1.5 million coho were also harvested, again with an unknown proportion of B.C. origin.

The numbers above do not include salmon returning to transboundary rivers.

 

[wildmanyeah]

In 2021, over 700,000 sockeye salmon were caught in southeast Alaskan interception fisheries, the majority coming from Canadian streams.

Nearly 28 million pink salmon were caught in these same fisheries in Alaska, with an unknown proportion being of Canadian origin.

Over 1.1 million chum salmon were also caught in interception fisheries, and while many of these were produced in Alaskan hatcheries, the catch also caught a significant number of North Coast and Central chum salmon from populations of conservation concern.

Over 200,000 chinook were harvested, the vast majority from B.C. and Washington. (97%)

An additional unknown number of Chinook and steelhead were caught and released (almost certainly dead) in seine fisheries. 1.5 million coho were also harvested, again with an unknown proportion of B.C. origin.

The numbers above do not include salmon returning to transboundary rivers.

and our genius managers close chinook fishing in the spring when all the US stocks are going through georgia straight. That are hatchery marked on the off chance that someone my hook a early fraser chinook.

oh i feel the heartburn coming on again

 

[Deepaaaar]

Yeah, it's hard to think about without inducing ol' acid reflux. My initial foray into this line of thinking was the dismal chum returns that have become the norm. I can see a future where, due to warming oceans, all salmon species travel further afield to find the fertile feeding grounds (aka, into the teeth of the Alaskan fleet). I still can't get over that number, though. 215 MILLION FISH!!!! That is a ridiculous amount of biomass.