Prince William Sound 2026 Pink Salmon Harvest Only 2.6 Million, Lowest Since Late 1970s

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) reported on November 12, 2026, that the 2026 commercial salmon season in Prince William Sound (PWS) performed below average, contrary to the department's earlier forecast of a strong season. ADF&G said in its report: "The 2026 season's pink salmon harvest was the lowest since hatcheries were established in Prince William Sound in the late 1970s."

In 2026, commercial fishermen harvested only 2.6 million pink salmon, 81% fewer than the forecast of 13.3 million. Of these, 1.7 million came from Prince William Sound Aquaculture Corporation (PWSAC) hatcheries, 73,000 from Valdez Fisheries Development Association (VFDA) hatcheries, and only 819,000 were wild fish.

After accounting for hatchery cost recovery and broodstock retention, the total salmon harvest in the Prince William Sound region was 7.7 million fish. This included 5.4 million pink salmon, 1.1 million chum salmon, 763,000 sockeye salmon, 4,760 Chinook salmon, and 406,000 coho salmon. About 57% of the total harvest was commercial, with the remaining 43% used for hatchery cost recovery and broodstock.

ADF&G estimated the total value of the salmon harvest at about USD 49.6 million (EUR 44.9 million), 45% below the ten-year average of USD 90.6 million (EUR 82 million). During the 2026 season, the department recorded 382 drift gillnet, 24 set gillnet, and 176 purse seine commercial permit holders operating.

By gear type, the estimated ex-vessel value was USD 17.9 million (EUR 16.2 million) for drift gillnet vessels, USD 1.3 million (EUR 1.2 million) for set gillnet vessels, and USD 13 million (EUR 11.8 million) for purse seine vessels, with hatchery operating revenue totaling about USD 16.2 million (EUR 14.7 million).

In 2025, the Prince William Sound commercial salmon season was near average, with chum salmon harvests exceeding expectations and pink salmon harvests below expectations.

In other regions, the total Copper River sockeye salmon run was 1.46 million fish, with a commercial harvest of 248,000, 66% below the ten-year average. The Bering River district commercial coho salmon harvest was 60,000 fish, 11% above the previous ten-year harvest average. In the Coghill district, sockeye, chum, and coho salmon harvests were all below average due to conservative fishery management restrictions and low fleet participation. The Eshamy district saw a weak sockeye salmon run, far below the ten-year average.

In the purse seine fishery, the chum salmon run was 48% below the preseason forecast of 3.62 million fish, of which 1.53 million were planned for commercial harvest; however, the total commercial harvest reported in Prince William Sound was only 797,000 fish, 48% below the forecast.