Good news in state's Copper River Chinook forecast

摘要

Copper River forecast: As the first major gillnet salmon fishery of the year, the Copper River always carries a lot of anticipation. An upbeat catch forecast only adds to the excitement.This year, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game is forecasting a commercial catch of 1.6 million sockeye. That would more than match last season's fine haul of 1.58 million sockeye.The fishery also produces magnificent Chinook salmon. Catches have been depressed for several years, however, with only 8,688 taken in 2013. The forecast for this year is 22,000 Chinook."Several lines of evidence suggest that the 2014 Chinook salmon run will be larger than in recent years," the forecast says. For one thing, a record percentage of jacks was harvested upriver last year.The Copper River fishery opens in mid-May.