Large Index Numbers Continue at the Port Moller Test Fishery

The ongoing Port Moller Test Fishery continues to record high index numbers and Thursday was another good day of fishing. A total of 239 sockeye were caught Thursday and catches at the outside station spiked with the largest catch of the season thus far. 76-sockeye were taken at station 10. The catch at station 8 was 42 sockeye and 66-fish were taken at station 6. 43-sockeye were harvested at station 4 and just 8 fish were taken at station 2. 142-sockeye were taken from the 5 1/8th inch mesh panels and 97 fish were taken in the 4 ½ inch mesh panels. Thursday’s fishing effort produced a daily replacement index number of 47, which pushes the cumulative replacement index number to 337. The daily traditional index number was 96. That pushes the cumulative traditional index number up to 800. That is still the highest cumulative index number on record for this point in the season. The previous high was an index number of 762 recorded back in 1995. That was a year that produced an over 60-million fish run. The average cumulative traditional index number is 440. In an update issued Thursday night the crew of the test boat confirmed that they hoped to fish from Station 8 into Port Moller today in an effort to avoid the rough seas forecast for today. The marine forecast is calling for southeast winds of 20-knots increasing today to 35-knots this afternoon west of Port Moller. Seas are expected at 5-feet but they are forecasted to build to 10-feet this afternoon west of Port Moller. There’s a “Gail Warning” in effect through tonight.