The Alaska Department of Fish and Game on Thursday released its preliminary forecast for the 2013 Copper River and Prince William Sound (PWS) salmon fisheries.
The Copper River fishery is expected to yield a run of 46,000 kings, up from 27,000 in 2012, for a harvest of 20,000. The sockeye harvest is predicted at 2.2 million fish, up from 1.43 million last year, for a harvest of 1.5 million fish.
ADF&G’s pink salmon forecast for PWS is a natural run on 6.2 million fish, with an estimated harvest of 4.75 million. That is up from the 2012 predicted run of 3.2 million. The chum salmon forecast is 512,000 with a harvest of 312,000, also up from the 36,000 fish predicted last year. Sockeye salmon is anticipated at 209,000 run — down from 324,000 in 2012 — with a harvest of 158,000.
