The 64 million salmon returning home to Alaska hatcheries accounted for nearly one-third of the 2021 statewide commercial harvest. It was the eighth-largest hatchery homecoming since 1977. At a payout of $142 million, the salmon produced 25% of the overall value at the dock.
An additional 220,000 salmon that got their start in a hatchery were caught in Alaska sport, personal use and subsistence fisheries.
Counting the fish taken at the hatcheries for brood stock, nearly 69 million adult hatchery salmon returned last year, according to the annual salmon enhancement report by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Pinks comprised the bulk of the pack, topping 57 million, followed by chum salmon at 9.4 million.
Currently, 30 salmon hatcheries operate in Alaska, with 26 operated by private nonprofit corporations funded primarily from the sale of a portion of the returning fish. Of these, 11 are state-owned and operate at no cost to Alaska. The state also operates two sport fish hatcheries, one research hatchery is run by NOAA Fisheries, and the Metlakatla Indian Community also owns and operates a hatchery.
Prince William Sound had the highest number of hatchery returns in 2021 at 48.2 million salmon. Nearly 40 million were caught in the commercial fisheries, worth almost $68 million to fishermen, or 62% of the dockside value. Pink salmon contributed the most at $49 million.
Kodiak ranked second for hatchery salmon returns at 11.6 million fish. That produced a catch of more than 8 million fish worth $10 million to fishermen. Pink salmon contributed most to the value at over $8 million, followed by sockeyes at $1.5 million.
Southeast Alaska had a total return of 8.2 million hatchery salmon and nearly 5 million were caught valued at $32 million to fishermen, or 27% of the region’s dockside value.
Cook Inlet ranked fourth for hatchery at 827,000 salmon.
Since 1995, annual releases by Alaska’s hatcheries have ranged from 1.4 billion to 1.8 billion juvenile salmon.
About 1.7 billion fish were released in 2021, mostly from eggs collected in 2020. They included 870 million pink salmon and 750 million chums.
Alaska hatchery operators expect a total return of just over 44 million salmon this year.
Board of Fisheries
still short one member
The Alaska Board of Fisheries is minus one member as it wraps up its meeting cycle through April 3, and two more seats will become vacant in June.
The board meeting ended Tuesday in Anchorage, addressing nearly 160 management proposals for Southeast and Yakutat subsistence, commercial, sport and personal-use fisheries.
A day-long hatchery committee meeting is set for March 23, followed from March 26 through April 3 by shellfish issues for Cook Inlet, Kodiak and the westward region, the Arctic and shrimp management at Prince William Sound.
Gov. Mike Dunleavy has yet to appoint someone to fill the seat of Indy Walton, of Soldotna, who resigned from the board in December after serving just three months. Under state law, Dunleavy was required to name a replacement within 30 days of a seat becoming vacant.
Members Israel Payton, of Wasilla, and Gerad Godfrey, of Eagle River, do not plan to continue on the board, according to board director Glenn Haight.
Currently, only one of the seven board seats is held by a member from a coastal region — John Jensen, of Petersburg — and none is from the commercial fishing sector.
“Yep — the body that regulates pretty much everything to do with commercial fishing in state waters doesn't have a single commercial fisherman on board. None. Nada. Zero. Zilch. Amazing,” according to Fish Ticket, a newsletter distributed by Alaska Boats and Permits in Homer.
Insiders say there is a power struggle between legislators and industry stakeholders who want more commercial fishing representation on the board, while the governor wants more sport fishing voices.
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