The run of pink salmon was especially slow, probably caused by the unseasonably hot weather in 2004, officials said.
It’s a disappointing season after 2005’s record-setting salmon harvest. Mike Plotnick, research analyst for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADFG), said it’s important to compare this year’s season with the 10-year average.
“All the forecasts and projections are mid-range estimates,” Plotnick told IntraFish. “It’s really unfair to compare 2006 to 2005.”
Industry experts predicted this season’s harvest at 168 million salmon, but early estimates are about 136 million, Plotnick said.
