A surge in sockeye numbers and fishing runs in the Fraser river has prices dropping for the fresh catches, but retailers and wholesalers alike say good deals on the fish are unpredictable.

At Western Foods, which has locations in Langford and Sooke, the retail price is expected to drop dramatically, said director Laura Lum.

B次元官网网址淚 heard about a big run this year,B次元官网网址� she said, noting their cost on sockeye was expected to drop by almost half this week. B次元官网网址淵ouB次元官网网址檒l see some great deals coming up.B次元官网网址�

Meanwhile, John MacAulay, meat and seafood manager for the Market on Millstream, says while theyB次元官网网址檝e seen some lowering of prices, their Victoria and Vancouver wholesale suppliers havenB次元官网网址檛 cut costs substantially.

B次元官网网址淧rices have come down a bit B次元官网网址� they may come further,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 think thereB次元官网网址檚 really been large numbers of sockeye hitting the market yet. Hopefully weB次元官网网址檒l see a further decrease in prices.B次元官网网址�

Sockeye salmon is a commodity in a volatile market, said Jason Bater, seafood category manager for Thrifty Foods. Not only that, he said, its popularity has been largely driven by its visual appeal.

B次元官网网址淚 believe itB次元官网网址檚 a case of we eat with our eyes. That bright red colour that sockeye has is so visually appealing, so beautiful on the plate.B次元官网网址�

Bater said sockeye sources and availability can change rapidly, leading to just as rapid price fluctuations.

B次元官网网址淐onditions in the fisheries can change overnight,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭he cost today might not necessarily be the cost tomorrow.B次元官网网址�

Erin Coulson, communications manager for ThriftyB次元官网网址檚 in Victoria, said the company has B次元官网网址渕ade the conscious decision to stay with the local supplier to bring in Johnstone Strait fish.B次元官网网址� Because extra fisheries that have opened have so far been further up the Fraser River, any price changes resulting from a surge of sockeye arenB次元官网网址檛 likely to affect ThriftyB次元官网网址檚 prices, she added.

The Johnstone Strait fishery has been B次元官网网址済oing strongB次元官网网址� and will open again this week, according to Neil Kipling, purchaser for wholesaler Albion Fisheries. TheyB次元官网网址檙e also hoping to see a larger Fraser River opening, which could lead to a further drop in prices, he said.

B次元官网网址淧art of the softening (of prices) of sockeye is the Fraser River forecast, and based on that speculation, it will continue to drop.B次元官网网址�

While prices this year are clearly much lower than last year, the comparison isnB次元官网网址檛 completely accurate, said Terry Yoshikawa, also a buyer for Albion.

B次元官网网址淎s far as last year was concerned, there was no fishery. There were a lot of river systems that were closed,B次元官网网址� he said, adding that this year is similar to the surge that happened in 2010.

B次元官网网址淭his year we might even see the fish run until early to mid-September.B次元官网网址�

acowan@goldstreamgazette.com