Russia lifts forecast for wild salmon harvest by 22%

Russian fisheries scientists increased projections for this season's Pacific wild salmon catch by 22 percent from the initial forecast to 322,000 metric tons after analyzing new stock data.

The figure is 40 percent lower than the 539,000 metric tons caught last year, which was the country’s third-largest wild salmon catch.

Pink salmon catches make up the bulk Russia's total harvest, but the fish return to spawn on odd-numbered years, making the year-over-year comparisons vary widely.

The pink salmon harvest is estimated to be 190,000 metric tons.