Salmon Hatcheries Issues Come Before Alaska Board of Fisheries

At the Alaska Board of Fisheries meeting taking place in Cordova, Alaska from Dec. 10-16, the agenda includes several proposals to decrease hatchery production of pink and chum salmon in Prince William Sound.

Cordova District Fishermen United and others, including the city of Cordova, oppose Proposition 78 by former long time Board of Fisheries member Virgil Umphenour of Fairbanks.

The proposal calls for a 25% cut in the pink salmon egg take level in hatcheries operated by the Prince William Sound Aquaculture Corp. and Valdez Fisheries Development Association, followed by an evaluation of its impact within five years.

The proposal contends that there’s significant evidence that there is an ocean carrying capacity that’s exacerbated by the proliferation of Alaskan and Asia hatchery releases into the North Pacific Ocean.

This is of particular importance to Chinook salmon, whose stocks have declined dramatically across Alaska, the proposal argues.

The Alaska Board of Fisheries has limited authority to provide injunctive relief on this issue, but to the extent that they can reduce hatchery egg take permitting levels, this is the only venue open to public proposals, Umphenur’s proposal contends.

Cordova District Fishermen United argues that there’s no conclusive evidence to suggest the proposed decrease in pink and chum hatchery production, and notes that the fisheries board has repeatedly turned down similar proposals over the past 20 years, and wants this one rejected as well.

“Passing this proposal will result in serious economic harm to every salmon permit holder CDFU represents,” the organization argued in its comments to the fisheries board.

“The total economic impact of PWS hatcheries is significant, and reducing their production will mean immediate economic downturns on communities already beset with revenue losses due to depressed fish prices and fishery resource disasters. PWSAC activities alone are estimated to contribute about $50 million in labor income and support roughly 2,400 jobs,” Fishermen United said.

Source: https://fishermensnews.com/salmon-hatcheries-issues-come-before-alaska-board-of-fisheries/