Wednesday, January 28, 2026
- admin04655
- Jan 28
- 3 min read
Updated: 4 minutes ago
Alaska
ADF&G Predicts Strong Prince William Sound Pink Run, Average Copper River Sockeye
SeafoodNews by Peggy Parker - January 27, 2026
Alaska’s Department of Fish and Game issued its 2026 forecast for the returning salmon runs in Prince William Sound and nearby Copper River last week, with positive news for pink salmon harvesters this summer and less positive for the wild sockeye salmon caught by the Copper River drift fleet, whose season opens in mid-May for Alaska's first-of-the-year Chinook and sockeye salmon.
Returns to the Copper River this year are predicted to be “average” for sockeye salmon at 1.455 million fish and “weak” for Chinook salmon at 33,000 fish. The “run” numbers predict the entire return, including escapement, sport removals, and subsistence take. The 2026 run point is the lowest since 2021, when only slightly fewer were predicted and showed up. During the pandemic year of 2020, predictions were around 1.5 million, but fishery managers only noted about 750,000 returning. That year was the lowest in the past ten years.
A total of 1.455 million sockeye returning to the Copper River means a commercial harvest level of 728,000 fish after escapement, sports, and hatchery removals are subtracted. The 2026 Copper River Chinook forecast of 33,000 fish is only a few thousand more than what the biologists want to see as the escapement for the year, a range of 21,000-31,000, so the fishery will be managed with extreme conservation if it is allowed to open.
In Prince William Sound, pinks salmon are forecast to return in “strong” numbers with a point estimate of 4.726 million fish, 14% above the ten-year average. This could result in a harvest point of 3.942 million pink salmon during the summer season. Wild chum salmon returns are also considered “strong,” coming in at 586,000 fish, 14% above the recent ten-year average.
This could mean a harvest estimate of 413,000 chum. Both pink and chum salmon will be produced by a series of hatcheries in Prince William Sound. Those predicted returns will be released in the coming weeks.
West Coast
California to open last section of coast for commercial Dungeness crab harvesting
SeafoodSource by Nathan Strout - January 26, 2026
The U.S. state of California is set to open up the last section of its coast to commercial Dungeness crab harvesting after testing revealed domoic acid levels in the area had gone down.
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California announced USD 10 million for salmon recovery projects
SeafoodSource by Nathan Strout - January 26, 2026
The U.S. state of California has announced USD 10 million (EUR 8.4 million) in funding for salmon recovery projects as part of the state’s ongoing efforts to support the species’ growth.
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International
Russia’s pollock 'A' season off to slow start
Russia’s pollock “A” season harvest in the Sea of Okhotsk is running well behind last year, with catches down more than 40 percent by late January despite a higher total allowable catch for 2026.
Intrafish by Evgeny Vovchenko - January 27, 2026
Russia’s pollock “A” season in the Sea of Okhotsk, which started on Jan. 1, is in progress but catches are still significantly lagging behind last year’s.
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Environment/Science
A Shift for NOAA’s Surveys: From Science to Mining
The New York Times by Eric Niiler and Sachi Kitajima Mulkey - January 27, 2026
A $20 million agency project will aid companies prospecting the sea for rare-earth elements.
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