KMXT 100.1 FM Public Radio in Kodiak, Alaska
Kayla Desroches/KMXT
The pink salmon forecast is looking poor for the Kodiak Management Area, but not as poor as 2016.
Alaska Department of Fish and Game area management biologist James Jackson gave a presentation on the numbers at ComFish yesterday.
“The overall pink salmon forecast is for a harvest estimate of 8.7 million pinks which is about 20 million less than year and about 10 million less than average, so a pretty weak run.”
He said, of that total, the wild areas are forecast to make up a less-than-stellar 6.6 million fish.
The trend continues with the Kitoi Bay Hatchery.
According to the numbers, the harvest estimate is 2.1 million pinks, which again is lower than the average, but not as dire as 2016.
In 2017, the total forecast for pinks was about 28 million, and the actual catch was roughly 27 million.
