SALMON Even fish feel the economic squeeze

Salmon's popularity and taste may not be enough to overcome penny pinching.
SEATTLE (AP) -- Every year, salmon evade predators, cut through stiff ocean currents and stare down their own mortality as they charge up Alaska's turbulent Copper River to spawn.
This year, the celebrity Copper River chinook and sockeye faced a tougher challenge as the first salmon of the season hit grocery stores last week: an economy of penny-pinchers.
"It's not necessarily flying out of here," said Joel Fahland, seafood manager at a Seattle Thriftway grocery store. "It's kind of hard to justify paying $25-$36 for two people."
The season, which started Wednesday, marks the beginning of shipments of chinook, sockeye, coho, chum and pink salmon from Alaska. Copper River salmon -- by virtue of marketing, timing and taste -- have gained celebrity status.
But this year, there's less hype. Alaska Airlines had announced it would dedicate 18 jets for flying the salmon south. On Thursday, only 10 planes were needed to shuttle in about 180,000 pounds.
In the Northwest, at least, restaurateurs and others were cautious.
"Typically in this economy, the high-end things have been a little harder to move and Copper River is definitely a high-end item," said chef Tom Douglas, owner of three upscale Seattle restaurants. "I'll be curious if indeed it is as big as it always is."
In the past, he said, people inquire if Copper River salmon has arrived before making reservations. But at about $30 an entree, Douglas said, "how much business is that going to drive?"
Top-of-the-line fish
Copper River salmon, ranging from $12.99 a pound for sockeye to $28.99 for chinook, also stands out compared to farmed salmon which -- while lacking the flavor and texture of the premium wild fish -- sell for only a few dollars a pound.
The popularity of the Copper River catch may be partly to blame for the high price, said Bill Jones, purchasing manager for Pacific Seafood of Washington, which distributes fish to restaurants and wholesalers in several Western states.
"The Copper River used to be more focused in the Northwest, and it's definitely become more national," he said, which means fewer fish spread among more customers. "It's always a challenge to be able to source enough product to make people happy."
The price didn't dampen Anna Bero's enthusiasm. She called Pike Place Fish to make sure they had chinook in stock and took her lunch break to pick up a pound at $28.99. It's steep, but worth the money, she said.
"I'm a seafood person," Bero said. "And it's good for your health, too."