Copper River commercial harvesters continued to harvest thousands of sockeye salmon in fishing periods stretching through late July, with the succulent reds weighing in on average at five pounds each – but the bulk of reds available in retail shops in the Anchorage area was coming from Bristol Bay.
Gillnetters in the Copper River brought in 86,092 sockeyes in the July 17 fishery, 32,990 sockeyes on July 21, and 23,223 reds on July 24, according to preliminary data compiled by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G).
Shoppers on the hunt for fresh seafood were finding some weekly sale deals, like $15.99 a pound for Bristol Bay sockeye fillets at Carrs Safeway stores for card members, but $39.99 a pound for non-members…