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New data from drone surveys flown over Unalaska’s three road-system lakes last summer show low sockeye salmon counts. The counts total less than half of what they were in summer of 2020, according to data released in April by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. But Fish and Game biologist Tyler Lawson said the one-year drop isn’t too concerning. Escapement numbers often fluctuate and there’s more room for error in aerial surveys, he said. “We call them a ‘high error survey,’ which kind of sounds bad, but it's just because in comparison to the weir which is a very precise tool there's variability whenever you're up in the air, looking down and trying to count salmon,” he said. While the technology is still relatively new when it comes to counting salmon in Unalaska, Lawson said he’s hopeful that drones will play a key role in helping assess broader trends among salmon stocks in the region.

Summer bayUnited statesMclees lakeCity of unalaskaMorris coveSandy dietrickTyler lawsonCourtesy of andy dietrick aleutian aerialUnalaska native fishermen associationAlaska department of fishAviation administrationAlaska departmentAleutian aerialFederal aviation administrationUnalaska native fishermenSummer bay lake