The Copper River commercial salmon fishery has achieved a strong fourth opener, bringing in an estimated 85,579 salmon, mostly sockeye causing a slight dip in the price of the fish fillets.
New Sagaya City Market offered its Copper River fillets for $56.99 for two pounds, down from $64.99. FishEx was selling premium portions of the fish for $59.95 a pound. Pike Place Fish Market dropped its sockeye fillet price from $39.50 a pound last week to $29.99.
After a slow start at the beginning of the season in May, which had seen fishermen only make 401 deliveries of 15,609 salmon, the fourth opener saw them bring in 84,555 fish, including 1,016 Kings, some chum and coho. The total harvest this season to date is 188,622 fish, mainly comprised of 178,328 sockeye.
Other fisheries in the region have started to see their season pick up, with the harvest in Prince William Sound having now secured around 184,051 sockeye, 32,437 chum, 8,739 Chinook and some other miscellaneous salmon.