Be braced for sticker shock with your salmon selection

Seafood lovers waited Friday for the first shipment of the Copper River salmon season, and they expected to pay a high price for the fish, and salmon in general.

Sky-high fuel prices — fishing boats burn diesel faster than the biggest, thirstiest SUVs on the road — will boost the cost of salmon, said Steve Wilcox, owner of Sea Blossom seafood in the Olympia Farmers Market.

The closure of commercial salmon fishing off the California and Oregon coasts, and a short season off Washington, also will increase the price of fresh salmon.

"We'll probably see a 40 percent price increase in salmon from last year," Wilcox said. "The price is pretty high right now, but it probably won't go up higher — the supply will increase — but it probably won't go down much either."

The supply of Copper River salmon was skimpy on the first day, as rough ocean conditions kept most net boats in harbor. About 3.5 tons of fish were shipped instead of the expected 10 tons.

There are plenty of Copper River fish left to be caught, and the price — reported at $40 a pound at South Sound fish counters — probably will drop in the next few weeks.

FishEx.com, an Internet fish seller, listed fresh Copper River salmon at $34.95 a pound Friday.

The quality of Copper River fish will get better, Wilcox added. The workers processing the salmon before shipment, usually college students, will get better at their work, and the fish should arrive in better shape, Wilcox said.

Copper River sockeye arrive later, and they're often less expensive than the chinook.

Copper River salmon ride a wave of advertising hype, but fish caught off the Washington Coast often taste better as they're fresher and caught while trolling with hook and line.

"Troll-caught fish are cleaned and put on ice right away in the boat," Wilcox said. "All Copper River fish are caught in gillnets."

Fresh salmon is hard to find in South Sound. Most supermarkets are selling farmed Atlantic or frozen salmon. Rough seas off the Washington coast have kept many commercial trollers in port.

Wilcox was selling fresh, troll-caught chinook salmon for $25 a pound Friday.

Elise Krohn of Olympia bought some smoked salmon, but looked at the fresh salmon.

"The price does faze me, but it's worth it to eat salmon once in a while," Krohn said. "It's such an important food with lots of health benefits."

Salmon are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, which studies show lower cholesterol in blood, might help prevent cancers and have other health benefits.

Preston Wheaton of Olympia eats fish every week, and he bought some fresh sturgeon Friday. He plans to buy plenty of salmon this summer.

"It's good, and it's good for you," he said.

Krohn said salmon will sell, even if it is more expensive.

"Look at gas prices," she said. "People are still driving."