Abstract
Alaska currently produces —80% of the salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) harvested in North America. The total Alaska salmon catch has increased dramatically since the 1970s and is now at historically high levels. Commercial catch has averaged 135 million salmon since 1980 and set a new harvest record of 192 million salmon in 1993. Catches of all five species of Pacific salmon in each of the three International North Pacific Fisheries Commission statistical regions for Alaska have increased since the 1970s, and generally are at or are near historically high levels; an exception is the catch of chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha) in southeast Alaska. Escapements for all species evaluated had predominantly no trend or increasing trends over time, indicating that the current high harvest levels are reflective of abundance and productivity, and not over-exploitation of the resource such as occurred in the first half of the century. Factors that have influenced the recent high productivity of Alaska salmon include a relatively pristine and undeveloped habitat base, salmon management policies within the state, the elimination of high-seas driftnet fisheries, enhancement by hatcheries, and favorable environmental conditions.
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Wertheimer, A.C. (1997). Status of Alaska Salmon. In: Stouder, D.J., Bisson, P.A., Naiman, R.J. (eds) Pacific Salmon & their Ecosystems. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-6375-4_13
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-6375-4_13
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