Top Chinook Spring=King Salmon Fishing Countries

The Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), also known as king salmon or spring salmon, is the largest species of Pacific salmon, renowned for its rich flavor, high oil content, and impressive size—sometimes exceeding 50 kilograms (110 lbs). This prized fish is native to the North Pacific Ocean and rivers of western North America and northeastern Asia. The top countries for Chinook salmon fishing are the United States (particularly Alaska and the Pacific Northwest), Canada (notably British Columbia), New Zealand, and Chile. In North America, both commercial and recreational fisheries target Chinook, with strict management to support sustainability due to their ecological and economic importance. New Zealand and Chile have developed significant aquaculture industries, cultivating Chinook salmon for export, as wild populations are not native there. These countries collectively dominate the global harvest and supply of Chinook salmon, serving high-value markets worldwide.

Data from FAO. 2025. Global Capture Production. In: Fisheries and Aquaculture.