Harvesters in Alaska’s Copper River salmon fishery delivered a total of 78,600 sockeyes and 3,100 Chinook salmon from their first two openers and began a 48-hour opener on May 23, with harvest reports anticipated by May 25.
Jeremy Botz, with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s office in Cordova, said the Bering River District was also opened for a 24-hour commercial fishing period on May 23, with the intent of targeting Copper River sockeyes traveling through the western portion of that district. As overlap with the Bering River sockeye salmon run time increases, the likelihood of future early season opening in the Bering River District would diminish.
Fishmongers at the Pike Place Fish Market in Seattle are encouraging shoppers to purchase the popular Copper River salmon while it is available. Pike Place is posting $99.96 apiece for whole fresh Copper River sockeyes, $34.99 a pound for Copper River sockeye fillets, $45.99 a pound for whole fresh Copper River kings, $64.99 a pound for fresh Copper River king fillets, $22.99 a pound for other fresh whole wild Alaska kings, and $37.99 a pound for other fresh wild Alaska king fillets.
10th & M Seafoods is Anchorage has fresh Copper River sockeye fillets at $32.95 a pound. New Sagaya, another popular seafood merchant, has not yet posted prices on Copper River salmon.
FishEx, an online seafood company in Anchorage, had fresh Copper River king premium portion fillets for $64.95 a pound, and fresh Copper River premium portion sockeye fillets for $46.95 a pound, plus fresh Copper River sockeye fillets for $36.95 a pound, other fresh Alaska king fillets for $36.95 a pound, and other fresh Alaska sockeye fillets for $25.95 a pound.
