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Prince William Sound pink season on track

Alaska Department of Fish and Game

Commercial fishing for pink salmon is underway in Prince William Sound and unlike sockeye returning to the Copper River earlier this year, pinks are showing up mostly as forecasted.

“Right now, we seem to be tracking right along with the 10-year even average, maybe slightly behind,” Alaska Department of Fish and Game area management biologist Charlie Russel said. “But the 2018 season in Prince William Sound is shaping up to be a better year than the weak parent year 2016.”

The total commercial catch for pinks right now stands at about 9.3 million. Valdez Fisheries Development Association hatchery pinks account for most of the catch in the commercial common property fishery so far.

“Even though 2016 was a pink salmon disaster in Prince William Sound and throughout much of the state of Alaska, the Prince William Sound hatcheries were able to meet all their brood stock goals and the department was able to meet all escapement goals in all Prince William Sound districts that we sufficient aerial survey coverage,” Russel explained.

Seiners harvested only 13 million pinks that year. Fishermen are more than likely to surpass that number soon as the run hits its peak heading into August.

Fish and Game expects about 25 million pinks will be harvested by the end of the Prince William Sound season, but Russel said that will also depend on Prince William Sound Aquaculture’s returns. The hatchery association forecasted this year’s run at 15.4 million. In 2016, only 15 percent of its forecasted run returned to Prince William Sound.

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Aaron Bolton has moved on to a new position in Montana; he is no longer KBBI News Director. KBBI is currently seeking a News Director, and Kathleen Gustafson is filling in for the time being.
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