Seafood Watch

Seafood Watch® Wild Pacific Salmon Report October 8, 2010
Commercial Coho Salmon Landings (1950-2002)
35,000.00
30,000.00
metric tons
25,000.00
20,000.00
15,000.00
10,000.00
Alaska
California
Oregon
Washington
6 year avg (AK)
6 year avg (WA)
6 year avg (OR)
5,000.00
0.00
1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
Figure 2.9. Commercial landings of Alaskan coho salmon (NMFS 2004b).
Alaskan Chinook Salmon
Chinook salmon make up the smallest portion of Alaska’s salmon harvest. In 2003, roughly 10
million pounds of Chinook salmon were landed, comprising just over 1% of the state salmon
harvest (Plotnick and Eggers 2004). In contrast to the other four salmon species, landings of
Chinook salmon in Alaska have shown a downward trend over the past fifty years (Figure 2.10).
Two-thirds of Alaska’s 2003 landings came from Southeast Alaska (418,000 fish), with the
remainder split between a number of other regions including Prince William Sound (48,000
fish), Bristol Bay (44,000 fish), and the Arctic-Yukon-Kuskokwim Region (57,000 fish)
(Plotnick and Eggers 2004). The Southeast Alaska harvest of 418,000 fish was the largest on
record since 1953. Chinook salmon are also remarkable in that they are the only salmon species
in Alaska for which a significant quantity (roughly half) are landed with troll gear. Notably, the
Southeast Alaska troll fishery recorded the 4 th highest landings of Chinook salmon since Alaskan
statehood. Hatchery fish are estimated to have contributed just 7% to troll landings. Chinook
escapement within Southeast Alaska fell between 2002 and 2003, but remained within
management goals for all but two rivers. Prince William Sound Chinook landings were the 7 th
largest on record in 2003, while escapement remained within management targets. Bristol Bay
landings of Chinook salmon were lower than average in 2003, while escapement was just
slightly above the target level (Plotnick and Eggers 2004).
Overall, the trend in landings of Chinook salmon in Alaska appears to be relatively flat or
slightly downward. It is possible that reduced fishing pressure following falling salmon prices
over the past decade has contributed to this reduced harvest. In any case, recent record harvests
and escapement levels within management targets generally indicate a healthy stock status.
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