The Southeast Alaska winter troll fishery for king salmon will remain open until April 30, or until the quota of 45,000 fish has been caught. Through April 14, harvest was 37,000 fish. Catch rates in mid and late April are typically strong and the remaining quota (8,000 fish) will likely be caught before the scheduled closing date for the season.

Harvest rates in the 2006 winter troll fishery have been fairly typical, but this year’s fishery has been remarkable for its high prices. Region average ex-vessel price climbed above $7 per pound in December and remained in the $7 - $8 range through early March. As of mid-April, average price for the winter season is $6 per pound, For comparison, 2003 winter season prices bottomed out at $1.70 per pound and peaked at around $4.

The winter troll fishery for Chinook is a good example of a low-volume, high-value fishery. The total harvest amounts to only about half a million pounds delivered over six months, yet ex-vessel value for the 2006 winter season will easily exceed $3 million. Although ex-vessel price for this small volume of fish does not reflect the commodity value of salmon, it does indicate the extent of niche-market enthusiasm for the product.