Bristol Bay's "Late" Run the New Normal For This Year
SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] By Peggy Parker - July 12, 2016
With over 17 million sockeye landed so far in Bristol Bay, the 2016 season is running close to the timing of the 2015 season.
On July 11, 2015 the cumulative catch in the Bay was 18.78 million sockeye. There was still a lot of fishing ahead, as the total harvest last year was 35.7 million sockeye, but by July 11, 2015 the season was at its half-way point. Another metric is escapement totals on that date, which last year on July 11 was 8.2 million out of a projected totall of 22.4 million.
Cumulative escapement so far this year is just over six million sockeye with a projected 15.31 million escapment goal.
This year’s forecasted harvest is 29.52 million sockeye, slightly less than twice what the fleet has landed to date, so if that forecast is realized, the season would be at about the half way point.
Comparing catch levels this year with last even more similarities are found. Daily Bay-wide catches have been in the million fish-plus range...
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