KENAI, Alaska (AP) — The Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s commercial sockeye salmon outlook this year is predicting Upper Cook Inlet fishermen will have their lowest harvest in the past 15 years.
The Peninsula Clarion reported earlier this week that the outlook predicts a total run of 4 million fish to all stream systems in the inlet.
Commercial fishermen are projected to harvest about 1.7 million fish.
The outlook shows Kenai River predictions are not matching the levels reached throughout the past 10 years. The river is projected to see 2.2 million fish, which is nearly 40 percent below its 10-year average of 3.6 million.
Last year’s total harvest by all groups was about 3.3 million fish. The outlook prediction had been 5.3 million.
