The Alaska Salmon harvest has seen incredible numbers this season, reaching more than 200 million fish so far, according to a recent Alaska Department of Fish & Game report. This year’s catch was first projected at 180 million fish, and is now the fifth largest salmon harvest in the state’s history. In Laine Welch’s September 6th issue of Fish Radio, she points out that Alaska’s biggest salmon harvest occurred in 2005 at 221 million fish. Assistant Director of Alaska’s commercial fisheries, Geron Bruce, states, "The period we’re in now and it’s continuing – is the highest period of sustained commercial salmon harvests in history."

At a time when seafood stories in the news describe the dangers of over-fishing, depleting ocean ecosystems or rising food safety concerns, quite the opposite is occurring in Alaska. The state takes a precautionary approach to ensure the needs of the ecosystems are being met, and commercial seafood harvest levels are strictly regulated and enforced. As a result, no specie of Alaska Seafood (whitefish, shellfish and salmon) has ever been listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act. It is for all of these reasons that Alaska Seafood is the world’s gold standard for premium wild and sustainable seafood.

This year’s strong catch follows 214 million fish in 1995, 212 million in 1999, and 260 million in 2005.

Click here to get the latest salmon catch numbers, including a breakdown by species and region, from the Alaska Department of Fish & Game website: http://csfish.adfg.state.ak.us/BlueSheets/BLUEWebReport.php