Gillnetters wait for their opening to catch the prized Fraser River sockeye near Steveston, B.C., in August 2006. (Chuck Stoody/Canadian Press)

The commercial sockeye salmon fishery on B.C.'s Fraser River is opening for the first time in four years.

Commercial fishers hailed it as the return of a B.C. icon, optimistic there would be a very big year ahead.

"For the first time in four years, you are going to be able to go to your local fishmonger, or the dock, or your local supermarket, and find wild Fraser River sockeye on the shelf, and that's a great day for British Columbia," said Phil Eidsvik with the B.C. Fisheries Survival Coalition.

For the first time since 2006, seiners headed out to the Johnstone Strait, between Campbell River and Port Hardy, on Thursday.

Sportfishers were also allowed to start fishing Thursday, while gillnetters were expected to head out to the river on Friday.

Barry Rosenberger with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans said the sockeye runs have been much stronger than forecast.

"The trends so far this year are that we are getting more fish. They are coming in a little later than expected, but generally, things have been very favourable," he said.

Anywhere from seven million to 11 million sockeye are expected to return to the Fraser River this year, most of them in late August through September.

Commission probes disappearance of 10 million fish

However, conservationists and First Nations groups have expressed concerns the commercial fishery may be opening too soon.

Ernie Crey with the Sto:lo First Nation is optimistic — but cautioned there could still be problems as the bulk of the fish are expected to return at the end of August.

"I don't know why these fish survived this year, why it wasn't a repeat of last year, but it's a happy occasion that it isn't a repeat of last summer," said Crey.

"The juvenile fish that went to sea four years ago to make up this year's returning adult population are in fact showing up, and they're showing up in numbers that are roughly twice the strength that was forecast at the beginning of the season."

Last year was one of the worst years ever recorded. Fewer than 1.5 million sockeye returned to the Fraser River, a fraction of the 11 million forecast.

Due to the collapse of the salmon stocks, the sockeye fishery was closed. It was the third year in a row sockeye fishing on the Fraser River had been shut down.

A federal investigation was launched to probe the disappearance of the nearly 10 million fish.

The Cohen Commission will begin holding public forums throughout B.C. this month.