Last year was tough for the Canada's West Coast fishing industry, but with experts predicting the largest sockeye salmon run in a century some fishermen are already considering dumping some of their catch.

The Pacific Salmon Commission said Friday it expects more than 30 million sockeye to run British Columbia's Fraser River this year. That was up five million from a prediction made earlier in the week.

In response, the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans increased the total allowable catch for commercial fishermen by more than 60 per cent to 10.2 million sockeye, from 6.2 million on Tuesday.

That's good news for consumers, as some head to the docks to meet fishermen selling fresh-caught sockeye for just $20 a fish.

But the bounty worries some who fear more fish will be caught than processors can handle, or consumers want to buy.

"Fisherman won't be able to find a home for the fish, so with their freezers full, and commercial freezers full, some of the fisherman being turned away, they may be in a position to dispose of their catch," fisheries adviser to the Sto:lo Tribal Council Ernie Crey told CTV News.

The sockeye population has been in decline for two decades, culminating in a moratorium on commercial fishing for the last three years.

In 2009, the sockeye stocks were so depleted the federal government called an judicial inquiry led by Mr. Justice Bruce Cohen of the B.C. Supreme Court.

The result has been years of shrinking processing capacity that the industry is now struggling to kick back into high gear.

"We were disappointed last year by the lack of fish now this year it's the exact opposite," Ed Purcell, the General Manager of Operations at processor Ocean Fisheries said.

"One of the challenges has been staffing. normally they would have a quarter of the amount of workers here, but not this year, they're working around the clock."

Despite the challenges, the industry is pleased to be soaking up the profits. If the predictions hold, this year's run will be the largest since 1913.

With files from CTV's Norma Reid in Vancouver