1. Salmon Hatcheries in Alaska – Plans,
Permits, and Policies to Protect Wild Stocks
Steve McGee
Alaska Dept of Fish and Game

2. Start of the Hatchery Program in
Alaska
Comme rcia l Sa lmon H a rve st
250
200
MILLIONS OF FISH
S ta rt o f
150 H a tc he ry
P ro g ra m
(1 9 7 1 )
100
50
0
1878
1883
1888
1893
1898
1903
1908
1913
1918
1923
1928
1933
1938
1943
1948
1953
1958
1963
1968
1973
1978
1983
1988
1993
1998
2003
YEAR
Enhanced Wild

3. Policies, Statutes and Regulations
1971 FRED Division statute
1974 PNP hatchery permitting statute
1976 regional planning statute
1978 BoF hatchery mgt policy
1981 fish transport regulations
1985 PNP regulations
1985 genetics policy
1988 pathology policy
1992 wild and enhanced stock statute
1994 sockeye salmon culture policy
2000 BoF sustainable salmon policy

4. 1976 Alaska Salmon Plan

5. Salmon Planning Regions

6. Regional Comprehensive Salmon Plans
Southeast Phase I – 1981; Northern SE Phase II – 1982;
Southern Southeast Phase II – 1983; Southeast Phase III –
2004
Cook Inlet – 1982
Prince William Sound Phase I – 1983; Phase II – 1986; Phase
III- 1994
Kodiak Phase I – 1984; Phase II – 1987; Phase II Revised –
1992
Yakutat – 1984
Bristol Bay – 1989
Sikusuilaq/Kotzebue Sound – 1992
Alaska Peninsula/Aleutian Islands/Area M – 1993
Chignik – 1993
Norton Sound – 1996
Yukon River - 1998

9. Wild Stock Protection
Mechanisms
Rigorous hatchery permitting process
Locate hatcheries away from significant wild
stocks
Use local brood sources
Permit hatcheries at lower initial capacities
Wild stocks always given priority in fisheries
Require tagging/marking of hatchery fish
Require special studies on wild/hatchery
interactions

10. Hatcheries in Alaska
Number of Hatcheries in Alaska
50
45
40
35
PNP
Number
30
25 State
20 Federal
15
10
5
0
1970
1972
1974
1976
1978
1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
Year
4 non-operating PNP hatcheries not included

11. 30 Hatcheries Currently in Operation
15 PNP-owned and operated
11 State-owned – PNP-operated
2 State-owned and operated
2 Federal/Tribal
21 Hatcheries have closed: 11 State; 9 PNP; 1 Federal

12. Production Percentage by
Species
Socke ye (5%)
Chino ok (1%)
Coho (2%)
Chum (35%)
Pink (57%)

13. Locations of
Hatcheries
in Alaska

14. 0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
1975
1977
1979
1981
1983
1985
1987
1989
1991
1993
1995
1997
1999
2001
2003
Alaska Hatchery Production
Eggs
Release

15. Adults (thousands)
0
10000
20000
30000
40000
50000
60000
70000
80000
1975 90000
1977
1979
1981
1983
1985
1987
1989
1991
1993
1995
Hatchery Returns
1997
1999
2001
2003
Return

16. Harvest of Alaskan Wild and
Enhanced Salmon
Proportion of Enhanced Salmon in the Common-Property Commercial Harvest
250,000
200,000
Thousands of fish
Enhanced
150,000
Wild
100,000
50,000
0
1975
1977
1979
1981
1983
1985
1987
1989
1991
1993
1995
1997
1999
2001
2003

17. Common Property Chums (SE) and
Pinks (PWS)
Proportion of Enhanced Chum Salmon in the SE Common-Property Harvest
14,000
12,000
Enhanced
10,000
T h o u sa n d s o f fish
W ild
8,000
6,000 Proportion of Enhanced Pink Salmon in the PWS Common-Property Harvest
4,000
40,000
2,000 35,000
Enhanced
30,000
T h o u s a n d s o f f is h
0 Wild
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
25,000
20,000
15,000
10,000
Enhanced 10 yr. average = 71% 5,000
0
1969
1971
1973
1975
1977
1979
1981
1983
1985
1987
1989
1991
1993
1995
1997
1999
2001
2003
Year
Enhanced 10 yr. Average = 83%

18. Common Property vs Hatchery
Harvest
Composition of Commercial Salmon Harvest
250,000
Thousands of Fish
200,000 Hatchery Cost Recovery
150,000 Hatchery Common
100,000 Property
Wild
50,000
0
79
82
85
88
91
94
97
00
03
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
20
20 Y e ar
2003 hatchery contribution = 42%

19. Percentages of Wild and Hatchery Produced
Salmon Harvested in Alaska
100%
90%
80%
70% % W ild
60% % Enhanced
% Cost Recovery
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
79
82
85
88
91
94
97
00
03
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
20
20

20. Alaska Hatchery Produced Pink Salmon - Common Property
Contributions vs Cost Recovery Harvest
40,000,000
35,000,000
30,000,000
25,000,000
Pink 20,000,000
15,000,000
10,000,000
5,000,000
0
76
78
80
19
82
19
19
84
86
19
88
19
19
90
19
92
PinkCPC
19
94
19
96
19
98
Year
19
00
19
02
20
20
PinkCPC PinkCR

21. Alaska Hatchery Produced Chum Salmon - Common Property
Contributions vs Cost Recovery Harvest
12,000,000
10,000,000
8,000,000
Chum 6,000,000
4,000,000
2,000,000
0
76
78
80
19
82
19
19
84
86
19
88
19
19
90
19
92
ChumCPC
19
94
19
96
19
98
Year
19
00
19
02
20
20
ChumCPC ChumCR

22. Alaska Hatchery Produced Coho Salmon - Common Property
Contributions vs Cost Recovery Harvest
1,000,000
900,000
800,000
700,000
600,000
Coho 500,000
400,000
300,000
200,000
100,000
0
76
78
80
19
82
19
19
84
86
19
88
19
19
90
19
92
CohoCPC
19
94
19
96
19
98
Year 19
00
19
02
20
20
CohoCPC CohoCR

23. Alaska Hatchery Produced Chinook Salmon - Common Property
Contributions vs Cost Recovery Harvest
80,000
70,000
60,000
50,000
Chinook 40,000
30,000
20,000
10,000
0
76 78
19 19 80 82
19 19 84 86
19 19 88 90
19 19 92
19 94 6 ChinookCPC
19 19
9 8
Year
1 99 00 02
20 20
ChinookCPC ChinookCR

24. Alaska Hatchery Produced Sockeye Salmon - Common Property
Contributions vs Cost Recovery Harvest
4,000,000
3,500,000
3,000,000
2,500,000
Sockeye 2,000,000
1,500,000
1,000,000
500,000
0
76
78
80
19
82
19
84
19
19
86
19
88
19
90
19
92
SockeyeCPC
19
94
19
96
19
98
Year
19
00
19
02
20
20
SockeyeCPC SockeyeCR

25. Value of Alaska’s Hatcheries
Value of Enhancem ent-Generated Com m ercial Com m on
Property and Cost Recovery
Harvest
70.0
60.0
$- in millions
50.0
40.0
30.0
20.0
10.0
0.0
88
90
92
84
86
94
96
98
00
02
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
20
20
Commercial Cost Recovery
84-03 Commercial Harvest = $808 M
84-03 Cost Recovery Harvest = $259 M

26. Other Funding Sources for PNP
Hatcheries
Value of Enhancem ent-Related ADCED Loans and
Enhancem ent Tax
14
$- in millions
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
Loans Enhancement Tax
84-03 Loans - $93 million
84-03 Enhancement Tax - $99 million

27. The End