Southeast Chinook harvest limit cut 23% for all gear groups

˛ Alaska Department of Fish and Game has reduced this year’s non-hatchery Chinook catch limit for Southeast commercial trollers by 44,000 fish — about 23% lower than last year’s harvest quota.

The catch limit for sportfishing, commercial seine and gillnet fleets also were set about 23% lower than last year.

The largest salmon are the main moneymaker for many trollers.

This year’s harvest limit, while down substantially from 2022, is about the same as was set for 2021 and 2020. It’s almost 50% higher than 2019, when several runs were not expected to reach escapement goals for spawning that year...