Some 330 harvesters, undaunted by nasty weather, with strong winds, whipping up to 40 knots and more, delivered about 82,000 sockeyes and 700 kings as the famed Copper River salmon fishery got under way May 17.
The Chinook harvest was less than half of what was anticipated, while the red salmon harvest was more than double of what was expected, said Jeremy Botz, a biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game at Cordova.
Kings were averaging about 20 pounds and the sockeyes about 6 pounds or a little under, and all the fish looked really good, he said.
At 10th and M Seafoods in Anchorage, lucky retail customers on a long waiting list were able to buy fillets of sockeye salmon for $21.95 a pound and king fillets for $35.95 a pound. Whole headed and gutted reds were $16.95 a pound and whole Chinooks were $22.95 a pound.
Weather is a big factor with the kings, Botz said. The nets are designed for sockeyes and the kings don't stay in those nets as readily, given their potential to come out of the net when the weather is rough, he said.
Weather was also a big factor with the fishermen. Some 530 limited entry permits are registered for the fishery, but only about 330 boats made deliveries during the 12-hour opener.
The next 12-hour opener is scheduled for May 20, when the forecast is for temperatures in the 50s and clear skies.
Copper River Seafoods celebrated the start of the season on May 16 in Anchorage with a festive gathering at the Bridge Seafood Restaurant, but with gourmet seafood offerings that including last year's Copper River salmon, because weather delayed the arrival of a flight from Cordova carrying fish for the event.
Alaska Air Cargo delivered the season's first shipment of Copper River salmon to Seattle the morning after the opener for the annual celebration of the fishery at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
The jet carried king and sockeye salmon from Ocean Beauty Seafoods, Trident Seafoods and Copper River Seafoods. At least four more Alaska Airlines flights on May 17 were expected for transporting salmon from Cordova to Anchorage, Seattle and across the United States.
"We're proud to be the first to bring wild and sustainable Copper River salmon to seafood lovers across the country, in many cases within 24 hours after the fish is caught," said Betsy Bacon, managing director of Alaska Air Cargo. '"With so much demand for sustainable wild Alaska seafood, airline crews in Southcentral and Southeast Alaska will kick into high gear to ship more than 2 million pounds of salmon across our 95-city network."
Following the arrival of the first fish, three top Seattle chefs competed to create the best salmon recipe in Alaska Air Cargo's annual "Copper Chef Cook-off. Three time winner Pat Donahue of Anthony's Restaurants competed against executive chefs John Howie of Seastar Restaurant and Raw Bar, Chris Bryant of Wildfin American Grill, and Master Sgt. Robert Shulman, a U.S. Air Force Reserve chef representing the 446th Airlift Wing out of Joint Base Lewis-McChord, in Tacoma, Wash.
"The Copper Chef Cook-off helps to showcase the proud relationship the Air Force Reserves has with Alaska Airlines and hundreds of other employers and industry leaders here in Washington State," said Chief Master Sgt. Tony Mack, 446t Airlift Wing command chief from Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
An estimated 10 percent of current Alaska and Horizon employees either still serve in the military or have veteran status.
