Basking in Southeast Alaska’s King Salmon Euphoria

There is no clear line between the mood in town and the mood on the fishing grounds here. Here in the Earth's largest temperate rainforest, in the sun-shadow along the outside coast of Baranof Island, seasons are determined by salmon runs and the kind of fishing boats at work. Among the different gear types (gillnetters, longliners, seiners), it's trollers that make up the heart of the fleet. And thus, since 1992, when the pulp mill closed, fishing has been the beating heart of this town.

Who could miss the euphoria on the streets following the largest and most successful July 1 chinook summer troll opening since 1985, when the Pacific Salmon Treaty was put into place? The Alaska Department of Fish and Game set a target catch of 171,300 kings, the highest quota ever, and the fleet took about a week to mop that up -- Fish and Game had predicted the opener would continue without interruption for two to three weeks. But ye olde fish forecasters underestimated the power of a big quota to attract permit holders, of which there are about a thousand.

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https://www.adn.com/we-alaskans/article/basking-southeast-alaska-s-king-salmon-euphoria/2014/07/27/