We knew going into the 2008 Alaska salmon season it would be a down year, and it was. The all-species catch tallied 139 million fish as of mid-September, right in line with the preseason forecast of 133 million. But here's a consolation prize: The dockside value might match the 417 million dollar fishermen earned last season on a much larger catch of 213 million fish. The X factor was pink salmon, specifically, the lack of pinks both in Alaska and reportedly in Russia. The short supply pushed ex-vessel prices to nearly double what pinks paid the prior two seasons.
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