Alaska's Copper River Salmon Wraps Up the Season

How to Order Direct from the Fishermen

CORDOVA, Alaska, Nov. 29, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Alaska's 2023 Copper River salmon season has wrapped up on a high note. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game summary reports that the Copper River Sockeye run was above preseason forecast with regular short duration fishing periods during the first month of the fishery and extended duration fishing periods for the next two months. ADFG also reports that 10,432 Copper River King Salmon and 855,202 Copper River Sockeye were commercially harvested during the season.

The positive fishing conditions coincided nicely with what has been a celebratory year for the fleet.

In May the Copper River Prince William Sound Marketing Association launched "The Noble Fish: Forty Years of Fresh" which was a historical look at the fishery in 1983. "Forty Years of Fresh" explored how more than a generation ago, fishermen and industry made the arduous pivot of getting the ultra-rich Copper River King Salmon out of cans and into the domestic market fresh and in season, which at the time was groundbreaking on many levels.

For the 2023 Copper River salmon season, the Association's Executive Director, Christa Hoover, reports that the fleet of more than 500 fishermen is happy with the harvest. She says, "Overall, everyone that I've talked with said it was a great season on the Flats, with robust fish and lots of fishing time. The response to the quality and legacy of our fish at the retail and restaurant level, both large and small, was very positive. Copper River Kings and Sockeyes were called out by name and featured prominently in seafood cases and on specialty menus around the country."

And, for those who missed the chance to buy the salmon fresh in season, Hoover reminds everyone that there's still time to join the party as Copper River Salmon can be ordered in frozen, canned and/or smoked forms from these direct market fishermen and processors: Drifters Fish, Sena Sea and Copper River Seafoods. Products are mailed directly to consumers and the last date for holiday shipments is December 18.

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SOURCE Copper River Prince William Sound Marketing Association