Alaska produced a total catch of just over 101 million salmon last year, a 56 percent decrease from the more than 232 million fish caught in 2023. Fishermen’s paydays also took a beating with the total salmon value at $304 million, down from $398 million the previous year.
In all, Alaska's 2024 salmon fishery was the lowest on record for fish poundage (450 million pounds), and the third lowest in value to fishermen since 1975.
Alaska salmon that begin their lives in hatcheries and are released to the sea as fingerlings, return home as adults and typically make up about 30 percent of both the state's total statewide production and value. The 2024 season was no exception, but the hatchery output was the 16th lowest since 1977.
Approximately 30.2 million hatchery-produced salmon were caught in Alaska's commercial fisheries last year, valued at nearly $77 million at the docks. That compares to 80.4 million fish taken in 2023 with a dockside value of $131 million, drops by almost 63 percent and 40 percent, respectively.
Additionally, 187,000 hatchery fish were caught in sport, personal use, and subsistence fisheries.
The numbers come from the annual Alaska Salmon Fisheries Enhancement Report, which the Alaska Department of Fish and Game just released.
Alaska’s hatchery program began in 1971 in response to historically low salmon abundance; today, there are 30 facilities producing salmon. Twenty-six are operated by private, nonprofits funded primarily from sales of a portion of the returns, called cost recovery. There also are two state-run sport fish hatcheries, one research hatchery operated by NOAA Fisheries, and one hatchery operated by the Metlakatla Indian tribe.
Pink and chum salmon are by far the dominant species produced by the hatcheries, followed by sockeye, coho, and Chinook salmon.
Often lost in the picture is that the hatcheries operate with no state dollars, and the fish contribute to other users besides commercial fishermen. When asked at state Board of Fisheries meetings how many people depend on hatchery fish for their livelihood, over half typically stand up.
“In each region where there is an aquaculture association, commercial salmon permit holders have levied a salmon enhancement tax upon themselves from one to three percent. In addition, through statute, we’re provided the opportunity to offer a licensing agreement on an annual basis on returning adult salmon to our projects, which is a process we call cost recovery. That allows us to recoup our operating expenses,” said Tina Fairbanks, director of the Kodiak Regional Aquaculture Association.
She added: “These faculties produce salmon for the common property that include sport, subsistence personal use and commercial fisheries at no cost to the state of Alaska. The revenues generated through commercial harvest landings and fish taxes go back into the communities and state coffers, and represent a great return on the state’s initial investment.”
Southeast Alaska is home to the most fish hatcheries with 14 facilities, and last year they accounted for 10.1 million salmon to harvesters valued at $29 million. That comprised 33 percent of the region's total catch and 45 percent of the value to fishermen. In terms of numbers, over 91 percent were chums, 26 percent were coho, 17 percent were Chinook, 7 percent were sockeyes, and 1 percent of the pink salmon were from local hatcheries.
At Prince William Sound, where six hatcheries operate, about 9.2 million fish were caught by commercial fishermen last year - 70 percent of the total catch for the region. The hatchery-bound fish were worth an estimated $19 million, 58 percent of the value to fishermen. The catch breakdown was 57 percent of the sockeye, 92 percent of the chum, 74 percent of the pinks, and 2 percent of the coho salmon got their start in Alaska hatcheries.
Kodiak has two salmon hatcheries that produce a mix of pinks, sockeyes, and chums. In 2024, just over 3 million hatchery fish were caught in the local commercial fisheries, accounting for 37 percent of the region's total catch. The local hatcheries contributed roughly 38 percent of the Island's pinks, 75 percent of the chums, 16 percent of the coho, and 19 percent of the sockeye salmon. The hatchery fish were worth an estimated $4.7 million, 30 percent of the dockside value for Kodiak fishermen.
Three hatcheries operate at Cook Inlet, where about 3,000 hatchery fish were caught last season, worth an estimated $31,000 to fishermen, or 0.2 percent of the value for commercial salmon fisheries in the region.
Since 1995, annual releases from Alaska hatcheries have ranged from about 1.4 to 1.9 billion juvenile salmon. Most of the 2024 releases were pink salmon (1 billion) and chums (781 million) from eggs collected in 2023.
Hatchery operators forecast 82.7 million salmon will return to Alaskan waters in 2025.
