Through September 15, Alaska Department of Fish and Game preliminary figures show the total 2006 Alaska salmon harvest at 135 million fish, ranking as the 17th-largest catch historically. Some additional volume of coho and chum salmon is expected as late-season harvest is tallied, but the total will likely remain under 137 million fish.
Sockeye
The statewide sockeye harvest of 41.7 million was a pleasant surprise for the Alaska salmon industry, 17 percent above the projection of 35 million. Bristol Bay exceeded its projection by 5 million fish thanks to a record return in the Nushagak district and strong late runs elsewhere in the region. The remaining sockeye fisheries in Alaska produced at or near their projected levels. The 2006 season marks the third consecutive year of strong (41+ million fish) sockeye production in Alaska.
One significant aspect of the 2006 sockeye harvest was the high proportion of sockeye caught in Bristol Bay. Nearly 70 percent were caught in the Bay, up substantially from the five-year average of 55 percent. This has implications for volume and product-form composition of the 2006 sockeye pack.
First, Bristol Bay fish were substantially smaller than in 2005. ADF&G reports average size of 5.74 pounds, down from 6.3 pounds in 2005. Assuming normal size for sockeye elsewhere in Alaska, this means that while number of sockeye caught declined only 3 percent, 2006 sockeye harvest tonnage was down by 10 percent. Second, the proportion of canned sockeye in the 2006 pack is likely higher than in 2005, when there was a fire at one major Bristol Bay cannery and production problems at another. The 2006 season was smooth by comparison so even with similar harvest tonnage, canned production from Bristol Bay is assumed to be significantly higher than in 2005.
Chum
As of September 15 the statewide chum harvest is 20.3 million fish, 16 percent above the projection of 17.5 million. Late-season chum in Southeast will likely bring the total above 21 million, placing 2006 among the top three chum seasons on record.
Strong market performance for chums drove a significant increase in ex-vessel price for the species, to the 35-cent-per-pound range in Southeast Alaska. As recently as 2003, statewide average ex-vessel price for chums has been as low as 19 cents per pound.
For the May-August period of 2006, average first wholesale values were up substantially for all five fresh and frozen chum salmon product forms covered in the Alaska Salmon Price Report. In percentage terms, chum product value increases ranged from 21 percent for chum roe to 41 percent for frozen chum fillets compared to the same period in 2005.
The stronger ex-vessel price stimulated fishing effort for chums in the driftnet and seine fleets, particularly in areas with a shortage of pinks this season. The combination of strong Alaska harvest and rising first wholesale value for chum products indicates genuine growth in demand.
Coho
Statewide coho harvest through mid-September is 3.4 million fish and is unlikely to reach the projection of 4.9 million. Southeast Alaska is the main production area for coho and through mid-September harvest there was only 1.5 million fish, half the projection. Coho harvest elsewhere in the state was in line with projections, due in part to increased fishing effort resulting from strong ex-vessel prices.
Average fish size for 2006 coho is widely thought to have improved, by nearly a pound from the unusually-low average of 6.57 pounds per fish in 2005.
King Salmon
The statewide chinook harvest stands at 576,000 fish, 26 percent below the projection of 780,000.
Southeast Alaska produced 316,000 chinooks on a projection of 446,000. This apparent 130,000-fish shortfall may be a simple result of projection methodology: while ADF&G projections in Southeast Alaska are based on biological abundance, actual harvest in the region is dictated by terms of the Pacific Salmon Treaty.
Elsewhere in the state, harvest of chinook was generally below projected levels, despite additional fishing effort stimulated by strong ex-vessel price for king salmon
