Run Forecasts and Harvest Projections for 2020 Alaska Salmon Fisheries and Review of the 2019 Season Published
— ADF&G Press Release

Doug Vincent-Lang, Commissioner
P.O. Box 115526
Juneau, Alaska 99811-5526


Press Release: April 13, 2020

CONTACT: Forrest R. Bowers, (907) 465-6139, forrest.bowers@alaska.gov

Run Forecasts and Harvest Projections for 2020 Alaska Salmon Fisheries and Review of the 2019 Season Published

(Juneau) — The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) announces publication of the statewide report: Run Forecasts and Harvest Projections for 2020 Alaska Salmon Fisheries and Review of the 2019 Season (PDF 1,675 kB).

The Alaska all-species salmon harvest for 2019 totaled 207.9 million fish. Over half of this harvest was composed of pink salmon (128.6 million fish), followed by sockeye salmon (55.5 million fish). A majority of the 2019 pink salmon harvest occurred in the Westward Region, and Bristol Bay continued to lead sockeye salmon harvests.

The 2020 commercial salmon forecast is for a robust harvest of sockeye salmon (48.1 million fish), but a substantially smaller harvest of pink salmon (60.5 million fish) compared to 2019. Commercial harvests of coho and chum salmon are projected to be average. If realized, the 2020 forecasted commercial harvest of 132.7 million salmon would be substantially smaller than the 207.9 million salmon harvested in 2019; mostly due to the projected harvest of pink salmon.

For additional information and details about harvest projections and forecasts for specific areas, please see the report at the link above.