Get in touch and share some perspective — give us a call at 907-842-5281 or send an email to fish@kdlg.org. If you’d like to get a message out to the fleet on this show, send your messages to the fleet to fish@kdlg.org.
Experts predict this season’s average sockeye will be heavier than last year’s record low
Sockeye salmon harvested in Bristol Bay were smaller than expected last year. The average weight was 4.5 pounds– that’s the lowest weight on record, according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. But this summer, scientists are predicting larger fish for one reason: age.
KDLG takes a tour of a garden in the Dillingham Harbor
Amy Raine is a prolific gardener both at home and at her job at LFS Marine Supplies in Dillingham. She took KDLG on a tour of the garden that she and Bodhi Sandoz created in front of the shop. Listen to that audio postcard below.
Messages to the Fleet
To Willem on the fishing vessel Jenny M:
Hey Willem, hope the season started off well and Captain Bligh isn’t being difficult. Got your Dad’s mail by accident and will forward the Good Housekeeping and Better Homes and Gardens. Know he won’t want to miss the summer editions. Am also helping your Mom shop and plan for your dorm room this Fall. I had no idea chartreuse and lavender were your favorite colors? Your bedding will definitely be bright and cheerful. Have a great season!
Love,
Montana Chick
If you’d like to send a message to the fleet, get in touch or give some perspective, give us a call 842-5281 or send an email to fish@kdlg.org.
The Numbers
Escapement counts on the Westside of the Bay look like they are picking back up again after their recent dip on Wednesday. Port Moller crews make predictions on when most of catch and escapement will occur, depending on whether their recent, record-breaking catch index was the peak of the season.
Baywide Total
The baywide catch on Thursday was 945,228 fish, making the total season catch 4,573,929. Overall escapement is at 3,322,866 so far. The total run as of Thursday, June 26 was estimated at 8,026,795 sockeye. The preseason forecast is set at 51.4 million fish, and the preseason estimated range is 37–66 million fish.
Nushagak
In the Nushagak District, fleets hauled in 407,731 fish on Thursday, for a total of 2,932,965, with an average drift delivery of 470 sockeye. The pre-season catch forecast in the Nushagak District is 15.7 million fish.
Escapement was 339,753 yesterday, for an overall count of 3,051,558 so far. The total run this season in the Nushagak District is 5,984,523, and the pre-season forecast is 21 million fish.
Nushagak River
The Nushagak River sonar counted 156,921 sockeye on Thursday, for a total of 1,842,414 sockeye up the Nushagak so far.
1,050 Chinook passed the Nushagak River sonar; their total is 19,058 so far this season. 28,006 chum salmon passed the sonar yesterday, for a total of 214,163.
The Nushagak River is getting close to its expected escapement of 2 million fish, and is within its escapement goal range of 370,000 to 2.5 million. The escapement goal range for chinook salmon is 55,000 to 120,000. Note that Fish and Game says they are expecting another big escapement coming up soon.
Wood River
149,400 sockeye passed the Wood River counting tower on Thursday, for a total of 1,157,496 so far, with another 34,272 fish passing the tower as of 6 a.m. this morning. Overall escapement is forecasted to be 2.4 million sockeye this season, and the Wood is within its escapement goal range of 700,000 to 3 million.
Igushik
The Igushik tower crew counted 33,432 fish yesterday, for a total of 51,648, with an additional 6,882 fish counted as of 6 a.m. this morning. Igushik’s preseason escapement estimate is 340,000 fish.
Togiak
Fishing crews in Togiak caught 3,611 fish on Thursday, for a total catch of 12,477 so far, with an average drift delivery of 125 sockeye. The pre-season catch forecast is 750,000 fish.
The Togiak River’s forecasted run is 1 million fish, and its escapement estimate is 230,000.
Naknek-Kvichak
Naknek and Kvichak fishing fleets caught 276,947 fish yesterday; their total is 313,627. The pre-season catch forecast is around 7.7 million fish.
Naknek tower crews spotted 9,288 fish yesterday, their total is 96,270. The Naknek’s escapement estimate is 1.1 million sockeye, and escapement goal range is 800,000 to 2 million.
The Kvichak River crews counted 11,586 fish, for a total of 21,090. Their escapement forecast is at 4 million fish, and their escapement goal range is 2 million to 10 million.
The total season run so far for Naknek/Kvichak is 460,987, and the preseason estimate is a 16 million sockeye run.
Egegik
Egegik fleets brought in 256,939 fish yesterday, making their total catch 739,890, with an average drift delivery of 997 sockeye. The pre-season catch forecast is 5.2 million fish.
11,498 spawners were counted passing the towers in Egegik yesterday, making the season’s total escapement 153,948 fish. The Egegik river’s escapement forecast is 1.1 million fish, with an escapement goal range of 800,000 to 2 million.
The total season run so far for Egegik is 993,838, and the preseason run forecast is 6.5 million sockeye salmon.
Ugashik
Ugashik fleets brought in no fish yesterday, their total harvest is 574,970.
Ugashik’s catch forecast is 5.5 million fish, and escapement is an expected 1.2 million, with an escapement goal range of 500,000 to 1.4 million.
Vessel Registrations
As of 9 a.m. this morning, in Egegik, there are 261 permits on 183 boats. By Sunday that should increase to 266 permits on 188 boats, and the number of DBoats will go from 78 to 79.
The Ugashik District has 169 permits on 117 boats, which will increase to 175 permits on 122 boats in the next 2 days. DBoats will go from 52 to 53.
In the Naknek-Kvichak District, there are now 165 permits on 138 boats. That should increase to 234 permits on 185 boats by Sunday. DBoats will increase from 27 to 49.
In the Nushagak, there are 860 permits on 615 boats. In the next 2 days, that should stay the same. DBoats will remain at 244.
In Togiak there are 18 permits on 18 boats, and that should stay the same by Sunday.
In total bay-wide, there are 1,473 active permits on 1,071 boats and 401 DBoats.
Chignik River weir
At the Chignik River weir, 8,711 sockeye swam through the weir on Thursday, for a season total of 190,832 so far.
Around 8,235 fish were part of the early run, and 476 fish were part of the late run.
Area M
Over in Area M yesterday, fleets harvested 42,897 sockeye on Thursday for a season total of 673,200.
148 chinook were caught yesterday, and their overall harvest is 1,858 thus far.
Fleets caught 13,228 chum on Thursday, for a total of 148,913.
12,467 pinks were caught the other day, their harvest is 111,107.
And 81 Cohos were caught on Thursday, their total is 99.
A total of 935,177 salmon across all species have been caught in Area M this season.
Port Moller Test Fishery
Yesterday’s average catch index declined from the previous wave on Wednesday, and crews say that if Wednesday marked the peak, their rough estimate is that 50% of catch and escapement would happen no sooner than July 3-4.
For Port Moller catches on Thursday, no fish were caught at Stations 2, 16, 18, 20, and 22.
Station 4 caught 26 fish in the small net and 76 fish in the big net. That catch index is 266.
Station 6 caught 37 fish in the small net and 34 fish in the big net. That catch index is 194.
Station 8 caught 56 fish in the small net and 50 fish in the big net. That catch index is 245.
Station 10 caught 6 fish in the small net and 4 fish in the big net. That catch index is 24.
Station 12 caught 1 fish in the small net and 0 fish in the big net. That catch index is 2.
Station 14 caught 2 fish in the small net and 0 fish in the big net. That catch index is 5.
Station 24 caught 10 fish in the small net and 22 fish in the big net. That catch index is 66.
Overall, the average catch index for Thursday was 67. The average length of fish caught in the small mesh is 502mm, and 528mm for fish in the big mesh.
