The Alaska Department of Fish and Game has released the forecast for the 2022 Upper Cook Inlet Sockeye season.
It looks like it’s going to be a rough year for the commercial fisherman.
The forecast calls for a total sockeye run inlet wide to be just under 5 million fish. Two million of the fish are needed for spawning, and another million or so to be harvested in the subsistence, personal use, and sport fisheries.
If the forecast comes in as expected, that leaves less than 2 million fish to be harvested by the commercial fleet. Considering how many participants there are, that’s not a lot of fish per permit.
As a sport fisherman, I’m optimistic about the forecast. It’s higher than last year, and last year the catching was about as good as I’ve ever seen it. Realistically, I can’t expect the same results, but I feel good about it.
Time will tell if my optimism will prove true.
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