Copper River sockeye and king salmon harvests reached upwards of 368,000 and 9,654 fish respectively after seven openers, following some 4,824 deliveries to processors. Catch weights were up too, from the first to the seventh opener, with sockeyes now weighing in on average at 5.1 pounds, up from 4.8 pounds, and kings at 17.7 pounds, up from 16.2 pounds on average at the first opener.
Prices for these first run Copper River fish began to drop as more fisheries opened at Bering River, Eshamy Main Bay and the Coghill districts of Prince William Sound, plus Sand Point and Cook Inlet.
Pike Place Fish Market in Seattle is now offering whole fresh Copper River sockeyes for $79.96 apiece, down from $99.96, and whole fresh Copper River Chinooks for $29.99 a pound, down from $45.99 a pound. Fishmongers at the popular Seattle shop also had Copper River red fillets at $29.99 a pound, down from $34.99 a pound, and fillets of fresh Copper River kings at $42.99 a pound, down from $64.99.
Still, the word to the wise was “get it while you can,” because once those fresh Copper River salmon are gone, they’re gone.
Fishmongers at 10th and M Seafoods in Anchorage meanwhile lowered the price on Copper River sockeye fillets from $32.95 to $18.95 a pound, and the online Anchorage seafood entrepreneur FishEx tempted buyers with a one-day 25 percent off sale on its Copper River sockeyes and kings, including premium portion king fillets normally priced at $64.95 a pound and premium sockeye portion fillets, which had been posted at $46.95 a pound.
.gif)