Tag Archives: Fraser River sockeye run

Fraser River sockeye run still avoiding U.S. waters, frustrating Whatcom County fishermen

With the sockeye salmon run into the Fraser River nearly complete, the fortunes of local U.S. commercial fishermen haven’t improved much. In recent years about 50 percent of the sockeye run went south through the Strait of Juan de Fuca, putting the fish in U.S. waters. This season nearly the entire run has gone around the north part of Vancouver Island through Johnstone Strait into Canadian waters. Read the rest here 11:35

Parasitic lampreys feed on bumper Fraser River sockeye run

The parasitic Pacific lamprey is taking a bite out of the estimated more than 21 million sockeye returning to the Fraser River this year — a bumper harvest but short of the unexpectedly high returns of 2010. But sockeye are showing up this year with chunks taken out of their bodies, raising concerns about the lamprey’s impact on the spawning migration. Read the rest here 01:50

AK sockeye salmon market faces wild card with Fraser River run

Salmon fishermen were back out on the Copper River yesterday/Monday hoping for a catch of 33-thousand sockeyes. The first 12-hour opener last Thursday was slow going – 510 landings yielded a total take of 27-thousand reds, down 16% from the forecast, and just 1,000 kings. Advance prices for the first fish dipped a bit to $3.50 a pound for sockeyes and $6.00 for kings. That compares to $4.00 and $6 to $7 last year.  Read more here 22:01

Fraser sockeye watchers see stock rebuilding

Salmon watchers are hoping this is the year the troubled Fraser River sockeye run turns the corner on its disastrous collapse four years ago. If returns come in as forecast, nearly 4.8 million sockeye will make their way up the Fraser this summer.That’s still well short of the longer term average of 8.6 million for this part of the four-year cycle.  continue