Yukon salmon count down by half: official
The number of spawning chinook salmon returning to the Yukon River is so low it's unlikely there will be a commercial or sport fishery this year, a government official says.

And that's despite restrictions Alaska has imposed on its section of the river to help protect the Yukon-bound salmon.

As of Sunday, only 26,000 fish had been counted coming into the mouth of the river, fewer than half the normal number, said Frank Quinn, director of the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans.

The numbers tell the story, Quinn said.

"Minimum 45,000 fish this year to meet our escapement goal, and then another 8,000 Continued@URL... http://www.cbc.ca/canada/north/story/2008/06/23/yukon-salmon.html?ref=rss