Nearly all of the chinook making up this year’s run on the Yukon River are believed to have crossed into Canadian waters, according to the latest figures made available by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO).
As of Aug. 20, the Eagle sonar, located near the Yukon-Alaska border, had counted 57,959 chinook, or close to 100 per cent of this year’s run.
The run is also slowing down along the Pelly River, Blind Creek and Big Salmon sonars.
According to posts on Selkirk First Nation’s Pelly chinook sonar Facebook page, as of Aug. 19, the Pelly sonar had counted 9,436 fish. Numbers provided by DFO show that as of Aug. 15, the Blind Creek sonar had counted 590 chinook, while as of Aug. 14, the Big Salmon sonar had counted 4,632.
More chinook are expected to pass by the Takhini and Whitehorse Fishway sonars for at least another week.
DFO is expected to release another chinook update Aug. 23.
Contact Jackie Hong at jackie.hong@yukon-news.com