Red Run ‘Normal,’ Which is Better Than Recent Years

Jay Barrett/KMXT

The Kodiak salmon season kicked off on Thursday with an opening day catch of 32,596 fish. The total harvest, mostly sockeye, through Monday is already over a quarter million. Fish and Game salmon management biologist James Jackson in Kodiak says even thought the catch numbers look high, it’s really only because the last few years haven’t been really good.

— (Salmon 1 34 sec "Well, right now it just … so that looks good."

The Chignik District on the Alaska Peninsula is well ahead of schedule, and according to Jackson, that’s good news for Kodiak fishermen on the south end.

— (Salmon 2 36 sec "It is really doing good … opening this year.")

That opening was on Thursday and lasted 48 hours.

The sockeye forecast for the Kodiak area is 2-million fish:

— (Salmon 3 44 sec "It’s not huge but it’s better … some optimism there.")

Pink salmon always account for the largest runs in Kodiak, and Jackson says this year it will be especially so:

— (Salmon 4 30 sec "I think what most … 30-million pinks for the Kodiak area.")

He explained that the pink salmon season around Kodiak is operated just a little bit differently than in other management areas:

— (Salmon 5 27 sec "The pink season starts … really don’t want them.")

Jackson is also the subsistence manager for the Kodiak area. He said the Buskin River sockeye came a little early this year and has consistent escapement which is actually running a little ahead of forecast. He says it is stronger than the last few years where sports and subsistence fisheries had to be restricted.

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