Alaska salmon gillnetting season starts

Gillnetting season starts Sunday for Alaska's commercial salmon fishing. The Juneau Empire reports that fishermen are expecting a strong year. Sockeye and chum numbers are up over last year, and early results from the Copper River to Icy Strait are promising, according to Alaska Glacier Seafoods chief executive Mike Erickson, who predicted a greater return -- and a bigger profit -- for ocean fleets than last year. The Empire says prices appear to be up 10 to 20 percent on salmon. This weekend, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game reported that the wild Alaska salmon catch doubled last week, 4 million strong, up from about 1.7 million fish the first weeks of the season. Read more from the Empire.