Alaska Salmon: Hatcheries Harm Wild Stocks

0:00I'm Corey, and this is your Pulse of the City, Anchorage News today. In Alaska, wild salmon always come first by law ahead of fish raised in hatcheries. When hatcheries salmon stray into wild streams and cause harm, production must be cut back. But studies from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game revealed that these strays often get counted as wild fish. This inflates numbers for pink salmon, making stocks look healthier than they are, while king and coho salmon struggle statewide due to competition. For ocean food, managers set a cat back in 1994 for Prince William Sound, limiting hatchery strays to 2% of wild spawners. A 2022 report by the department's top salmon scientist found that hatchery pink salmon strays have over 50% less spawning. Success than wild ones, they also bring in weaker genetics that hurt wild stocks over time. By clear evidence for more than a decade, the department has not enforced the 2% limit or reduced production levels, they are still approving as many eggs as in 2019 for local

1:03hatcheries. Recently, the chief scientist acknowledged the issue, saying the department must act of hatcheries harm wild stocks. In a related case last year, after four straight years of failed wild chum runs near crawfish inlet, they cut releases there by 25%. The Alaska Board of Fisheries meets March 17th through 21st in Anchorage, and could restrict production to protect wild salmon's, genetics and productivity. Action now would help preserve these runs for the future.