High Index Number Continue at the Port Moller Test Fishery

The Port Moller Test Fishery continues to post the highest traditional index numbers on record. Wednesday’s fishing effort as part of the Port Moller Test Fishery resulted in a harvest of 194 sockeye. 103 fish were taken at station 8. 39 sockeye were taken at station 4 and 33 fish were taken at station 6. 16 sockeye were taken at station 2 and 3 fish were taken at station 10. 112-of the sockeye were taken from the 4 ½ inch mesh panels and 82-fish were caught in the 5 1/8th inch mesh panels. The daily replacement index number from Wednesday’s effort was 38, which pushes the cumulative replacement index number up to 288. The daily traditional index number was 94, which pushes the cumulative traditional index number up to 704. That’s still the largest cumulative index number on record through June 19th. The previous high was 689 back in 1995. That year the run totaled around 61-million fish. The average index number for this point in the season is 360. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game reports that the genetic samples from the test fishery were delayed and were expected to make it to the gen lab in Anchorage sometime Thursday afternoon. The Department anticipates being able to release the first stock composition estimates sometime Friday.