Smolts. Murkowski Listens. Feds Acknowledge Need for Aquaculture. Points of Interest. at CIAA. Cook Inlet Aquaculture Association INSIDE THIS ISSUE

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1 Cook Inlet Aquaculture Association Smolts COOK INLET AQUACULTURE ASSOCIATION Kalifornsky Beach Road Kenai, Alaska Non-Profit Org Car-Rt Sort U.S. Postage Paid Kenai, AK Permit No. 70 Volume 21, Issue 1 January 2002 Points of Interest at CIAA Matt Cooper, CIAA s biologist, resigns and accepts a position with the US Fish and Wildlife Service in Washington State. Randy Colvin leaves CIAA to pursue his Masters degree at Oregon State University. CIAA hires Trenten Dodson as the new Project Technician. BOF votes not to move on CIAA s Bear Lake proposal. CIAA develops a presence on the web, at INSIDE THIS ISSUE Letter from the Executive Director. CIAA Fills Staff Vacancies 2 At Large Board Seats go Unattested. Bear Creek Egg-Take: A Perspective from the Field Tutka Bay Hatchery: Another Successful Egg Take Trial Lakes Hatchery Takes Necessary Steps to Improve Production for 2002 Board of Fisheries Votes NO to CIAA s Bear Lake Proposal Murkowski Listens By Mark Matarrese CIAA Staff Senator Frank Murkowski, his wife, and two staff members paid a surprise visit to a CIAA board of directors meeting on November 17th, After a brief hand shaking and introduction of board members, the senator said, ok, you ve got fifteen minutes of my time and I m ready to listen. The senator made it quite clear that he is aware of the dilemmas that are currently confronting the fisheries industry, and asked very directly to side Cook Inlet Aquaculture Association has recently been granted 1 million dollars from the Department of Interior for their proposal to assist the Cook Inlet fishing community through fisheries rehabilitation and enhancement projects. These funds will provide a much needed boost for the association s ailing financial profile. The distribution of funds table the discussion on complaints, in favor of suggestions for solving some of the major problems facing the industry. I hear complaints all the time, I m looking for solutions stated Murkowski. Many members were anxious to give their side of the story to the senator on the various issues that reoccur in the headlines and editorials, but it became quite obvious that the senator is looking for the Senator Murkowski has open ears as CIAA board members address their concerns and solutions to fisheries related issues. answers in helping solve some of our major predicaments facing the industry. Gary Fandrei, executive director of CIAA walked Senator Murkowski through the obstacle course that faces most of the received will be allocated to the following areas: $500K secured from the grant will be used to implement the first year of a five year Enhancement Tax Match project. Trail Lake Hatchery will receive $175K for building maintenance, incubator and raceway modifications, and UV process water disinfection installation. $158K will be used to make aquaculture associations in the state. He began by itemizing the different streams of revenue that aquaculture accesses to contribute to the operating budgets that feed the various projects and costs of operating the state owned hatcheries. He made quite clear to the senator that the state hatcheries were not built for self sustainability, and with decreasing revenues from depressed fish markets, the associations cost recovery programs are not supplying ample money to offset the cost of operation. The senator asked Fandrei how can you change a system that was not designed for sustainability. Doug Blossom, an executive office on CIAA s board, interjected, stating, the aquaculture programs produce lots of fish for lots of people, but due do declining markets, we just do not have a See Page 6 Surprise Visit from Senator Murkowski Feds Acknowledge Need for Aquaculture By: CIAA Staff an installment to CIAA debt retirement. The Resurrection Bay smolt release project secured $50K to implement the first year of a four year project. The Big Lake evaluation study will receive $43K. The design phase of two visitor centers, one a Bear Lake and See Back Page,-Feds Support Enhancement

2 PAGE 2 SMOLTS VOLUME 21, ISSUE 1 Letter From The Executive Director By Gary Fandrei Executive Director CIAA Early in 2001, the Association recognized the needs of the Cook Inlet fishing community; and, with the help of Joe Malatesta Sr., developed a plan to provide longterm assistance through fisheries CIAA Fills Staff Vacancies On January 29, Gary Fandrei, the executive director of Cook Inlet Aquaculture Association, announced the hiring of a biologist, Lani Kai Eggertsen- Goff, to fill the vacant position at the Kenai Headquarters. Ms Eggertsen-Goff received her Bachelor degree from Utah State University in Liberal Arts, and is currently working towards her Masters Degree at Alaska Pacific University in Environmental Sciences. She will begin her duties as Biologist on March 4, 2002 at the Kenai corporate headquarters. Ms. Eggertsen is a resident of Kenai, Alaska. Trent Dodson, the new project technician, was hired in Kenai Office rehabilitation and enhancement. Since February I met with and presented this plan to numerous groups, local units of government, and the Congressional delegation. Each time I discussed the problems facing Cook Inlet s fishing community I was surprised by the amount of support I heard for those that rely on Cook Inlet salmon resource. The Kenai Peninsula Borough also recognized the needs of the fishing community; and, in March, included the Association s plan in its 2001 Federal Priorities list. In September, we received notice from the Congressional delegation that the Association would receive a $1 million allocation to begin implementing our plan for providing long-term assistance. October, replacing Randy Colvin. Randy resigned in August to pursue graduate studies at Oregon State. Trent Trenten Dodson graduated from Wabash College in Indiana, with a bachelors of art degree in biology. He trecked to Alaska to work Lani Kai Eggertsen-Goff for CIAA as a temporary hire for the 2001 season; his talents did not go unrecognized. Trent currently makes his home in Kasilof, Alaska. Cook Inlet Aquaculture Staff Tutka Bay Hatchery Gary Fandrei Executive Director Vacant Hatchery Manager Lani Eggertsen Goff Biologist Kadeon Waite Assistant Manager Judy Miller Admin. Assistant Trail Lakes Hatchery Trent Dodson Project Technician George Bowden Hatchery Manager Mark Matarrese Special Projects Mgn. Robert Blankenship Assistant Manager Thomas Prochazka Assistant Manager The Kenai Peninsula Borough also recognized the needs of the fishing community; and, in March, included the Association s plan in its 2001 Federal Priorities list. I would like to recognize and say thank you to all the organizations and local units of government, particularly the Kenai Peninsula Borough, which supported our plan for providing long-term assistance. I would especially like to thank Senator Ted Stevens, his staff and the other members of Alaska s Congressional delegation for also recognizing the importance of the Cook Inlet fishing community to the Kenai Peninsula. It Board of Directors was through their efforts that we are able to continue our programs and provide more assistance to those that rely on one of the region s most important resources salmon. The Association will continue to provide and protect your salmon resource. BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF COOK INLET AQUACULTURE ASSOCIATION A Board of Directors that meets monthly controls the affairs of the association. All of the twenty-eight seats on the Board are currently filled. None of the Directors receives any compensation, per diem, or expense reimbursements from the Association for serving on the board. The Directors commitment and time to the Association s mission must not go unnoticed. Commercial Fishermen of Cook's Inlet Alternates DIRECTORS: JULIE MARCINKOWSKI James Arness LEON MARCINKOWSKI James Arness Cook Inlet Fishermen's Fund: DIRECTORS: DOUGLAS F. BLOSSOM Melvin Johnson DAVID MARTIN Daniel Leman Cook Inlet Seiners Association: DIRECTORS: CHARLES WALKDEN John Wise NATHAN WISE Leonard Miller Inlet Wide Commercial Fishermen Representatives: DIRECTORS: BUDDY HARRIS Steven Perrizo DAVE JEWELL Erik Lindow DREW SPARLIN, SR. Dennis Crandall DYER VAN DEVERE Philip Squires ROBERT MERCHANT None Kenai Peninsula Fishermen's Association: DIRECTORS: HOWARD DAVIS Rory Rorrison BRENT JOHNSON Rory Rorrison North Pacific Fisheries Association: DIRECTORS: MARK MAHAN Dan Winn JESSIE NELSON Dan Winn Northern District Set Netters of Cook Inlet: DIRECTORS: JOHN LIGHT Stephen Braund KEVIN BARKSDALE Les Hogan United Cook Inlet Drifters Association DIRECTORS: JOHN EFTA Leonard Efta FRANCIS DEROSSITT Ron Rust City of Homer: DIRECTOR: AL RAY CARROLL None City of Kachemak: DIRECTOR: PAUL JONES Leonard Billotte City of Seward: DIRECTOR: JOHN FRENCH None Cook Inlet Region, Inc.: DIRECTOR: PAUL SHADURA None Kenai Peninsula Borough: DIRECTOR: CHRISTOPHER MOSS Ron Long Matanuska-Susitna Borough: DIRECTOR: BRUCE KNOWLES None Municipality of Anchorage: DIRECTOR: PATRICIA ABNEY None Ninilchik Village Council: DIRECTOR: STEPHEN VANEK None Processor Representative: DIRECTOR: TIMOTHY SCHMIDT Bryan Bennett

3 VOLUME 21, ISSUE 1 CIAA's at large board of directors seats again went unattested during the recent January nomination-election process. There are five seats on the board, that are occupied by the Cook Inlet Area H permit holders. The elected parties act as the voice for all 1,195 permit holders (data current as of November 2001) in Cook Inlet. During this years election, incumbents Mr. R. Drew Sparlin and Mr. Roger Buddy Harris, will remain seated for three more years as the at large board members. Mr. Sparlin s alternate will again be Dennis Crandall, and Mr. Harris has selected Steven Perrizo to repeat as his alternate. Mr. Sparlin and his wife Lee have been long time Kenai Peninsula residents. Mr. Sparlin graduated from Western State College located in Gunnison Colorado with a Bachelor of Arts degree. He has been a mentor to many Cook Inlet fisherman and continues to voice for his colleagues the necessary concerns and possible remedies for jump starting an ailing industry. He continues to hold the respect of leaders from all corners of the industry, including processors, area management biologists, and fishers. For the past 31 years, Mr. Sparlin has SMOLTS At Large Board Seats Go Unattested been fishing for salmon as a commercial drift net harvester in the Cook Inlet waters. He also participates in bottom fish fisheries in the north gulf coast waters, and is a holder of halibut IFQs (Individual Fisherman Quotas). He actively contributes his time to many organizations within the fishing community. Besides sitting on the board of directors for CIAA, he also secures a seat on the board of directors for UCIDA (United Cook Inlet Drift Association). Mr. Sparlin was originally elected as a member to CIAA s board in 1982, and served as secretary in 1982 and His associates were quick to notice his talents and was elected president in 1984 and remained president until He was reelected to the board in 1993 and was again voted in as the secretary and has continued in this capacity until the present. Mr. Harris is married and a proud father of three children. His family are residents of Nikiski. He has been a commercial drift fisherman in Cook Inlet the past 24 years. Along with being a fisherman, Mr. Harris s career involved helping others in time of need - he is a retired fire chief from the Nikiski Fire Department. Prior to his appointment as fire chief, he was a paramedic Web Site Design in Progress It has been a long time coming; finally the Association has taken a step into the digital times by developing a presence on the world wide web with their recently published web site. The domain name is There is still much work to be done for the site to be fully functional, stated Mark Matarrese, a member of CIAA s staff that has been handed the responsibility of managing the site. But I feel once the site is completed, it will provide another tool to the organizations and interested parties who do business or have interest in the Association s operations. The left column of the home page shows all the categories by title and graphic icons, that make up the contents of the web site. Currently Hatcheries Projects Fish Sales News Smolts Tours Employment Corporate Contact Us the News, Employment, and Contacts pages are fully functional and are updated on an as needed basis. Cook Inlet Aquaculture Association "Providing and Protecting Your Salmon Resource" The Cook Inlet Aquaculture Association is a non-profit regional association which exists to: (1) protect self-perpetuating salmon stocks and the habitats upon which they depend; (2) rehabilitate selfperpetuating salmon stocks; (3) rehabilitate salmon habitat; and (4) maximize the value of the Cook Inlet (Area H) common property salmon resource by applying science and enhancement technology to supplement the value attained from protection and rehabilitation of selfperpetuating salmon stocks. Our Mission Company Profile To accomplish this mission the Board of Directors of the Cook Inlet Aquaculture Association will: Seek protection of salmon habitat through active participation (testimony, committee work, data input, etc.) in planning, permitting and enforcement processes. Conduct salmon rehabilitation and enhancement projects, which can be expected to significantly contribute to common property fishery harvests. A 66% harvest rate in commercial fisheries is the acceptable standard for "significant contribution". That standard can be adjusted (raised or lowered) from project to project if the project offers terminal harvest opportunities, presents special mixedstock harvest concerns, or benefits users whose harvest methods are less efficient than the commercial fishery. Conduct evaluation activities, which increase the effectiveness of project implementation. Engage in research, which advances the state of enhancement/rehabilitation technology. Be sensitive to the interests of those harvesting the Cook Inlet common property salmon resource. Educate the public about the salmon resource and the mission, goals and projects The newly designed Home Page of Cook Inlet Aquaculture s web site. The web team has set a goal for early summer to have the entire site fully operational. It is the goal of the Association to publish all the data collected on a seasonal basis from the various projects for public viewing. Interested markets will also have access to the information on fish sales for the cost recovery program. The Smolts will also be published on the web, and will reveal a format similar to the printed version. All comments are welcomed and encouraged from our viewers, so please let us hear from you. By navigating to the Contacts page the viewer can access links to send to the appropriate personnel. R. Drew Sparlin PAGE 3 for the emergencies services team. Mr. Harris maintains an active role in the industry by participating in various organizations and societies to help protect the rights of commercial fisherman. He currently is a member of UCIDA and UFA (United Fisherman s Association). Mr. Harris is a strong believer that the association should continue to be directed by fisherman's interest. This will be Harris's second term as an at large member to CIAA s board. Previously, Harris acted as an alternate for Mr. Sparlin. CIAA Considered for Saltonstall-Kennedy Grant CIAA received notice from Barbara Fosburg, the federal program officer for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, that the "Evaluation of the Cook Inlet Regional Salmon Enhancement Plan ," which was submitted by CIAA to the National Marine Fisheries Service under the Saltonstall-Kennedy Program, has been recommended for funding. The proposal must still be reviewed by the NOAA Grants Management Division, the Office of General Counsel, the Office of the Inspector General, and the Department of Commerce Financial Assistance Review Board. CIAA may be contacted in the near future to participate in negotiations to determine the conditions under which the award will be made. Mathew Cooper, the biologist on staff and the responsible person for the drafting of the proposal for grant consideration, is no longer with the association. Mr. Cooper saw the need for the intellectual fishery community to fill a much needed gap in the direction that Cook Inlet Drainage enhancement policy must take in the twenty first century. The contribution of his efforts in helping secure monies for a most needed plan to allow for continued health to Cook Inlet s salmon stocks must not go unnoticed.

4 PAGE 4 SMOLTS VOLUME 21, ISSUE 1 Bear Creek Egg-take: A Perspective from the Field By Trenten Dodson CIAA Staff Like a massive juggernaut, sockeye salmon thrashed their way through the shallow waters of Bear Creek. These are the salmon that have eluded predators at sea, dodged commercial fishermen s nets, and passed up sport fisherman s tackle. However, some of these weary travelers still faced a grave obstacle bears. While most of the salmon would endure attack from their ursine predators and succeed upstream to spawn, a handful of them would find themselves giving an important contribution to our many enhancement projects that benefit the greater Cook Inlet drainage system. Almost fifty-percent of the sockeye salmon eggs incubated at Trail Lakes Hatchery are collected from the stock of fish migrating up Bear Creek, a small tributary to Tustumena Lake. I was part of the crew that set out this year to collect the sockeye salmon gametes (eggs and sperm) and transport them to Trail Lakes Hatchery. These gametes allow Cook Inlet Aquaculture Association to continue the enhancement of Bear Creek sockeye salmon and provide a plentiful salmon resource for all user groups (commercial, sport, subsistence, and personal use). The process of gamete collection or egg take is of great importance to our projects and this year was quite a success. The means, by which egg takes are preformed, often rely greatly on the species of fish involved and on the environment in which the crew must work. I would like to explain the process of the Bear Creek egg take by introducing the crew, explaining our goal, and describing the different aspects that comprise a day s work during an egg take. I was fortunate enough to work with a hard-working, though rather eclectic, crew. Gerald Behr Turner was a young graduate student of fisheries at Eastern Washington University; well educated and informed in the field of fisheries. Sam Warner, a former navy seal and commercial fisherman, was a great worker and one heck of a cook. The senior of the crew was Larry Moore, a retired high school teacher and in the best shape of all of us. Lastly was the irrepressible Mike Burkholtz, a chemist for Tesoro, who volunteered a week of his time during the apex of the egg take. With help from our executive director, Gary Fandrei and Mark Matarrese, CIAA s special projects manager, the gamete collection at Tustumena went extremely well. Our objective during the project was to collect 12 million sockeye salmon eggs from the fish migrating up bear creek. The fish at this site are the major contributors to our sockeye enhancement projects. Thus, it was quite important that we were not only able to secure our desired number of eggs, but able to follow all egg-take procedures and disease prevention protocols to ensure that our efforts would not be in vain. Moreover, we were to The Bear Creek crew pictured after a strenuous day during an egg-take operation. From left to right: Trenten Dodson (crew chief), Gerald Turner, Robert Sam Edwards, and Larry Moore. follow the regulations set by our special use permit with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service regarding our presence on The Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. One such stipulation was to collect gametes using a male to female ratio of 1:1. For every female from which we collected eggs, we were to extract the sperm from a male. Lastly, in order to help preserve the natural spawning population of salmon in Bear Creek, gametes were collected in proportion to the number of fish migrating upstream. Using past enumeration data, a bell-shaped curve was created. The curve showed us, graphically, when the salmon run would begin, increase to its apex, and then gradually diminish. Gametes were taken in accordance to the curve: a small amount of eggs taken during the beginning of the run, the amount collected gradually increasing until the height of the run, and then slowly tapering down the number of collected eggs until the run had dwindled. Once all of the numbers were calculated, the procedures were set, and all rules, regulations and stipulations were understood we were ready to begin collecting gametes. The first step was to collect the broodstock. Broodstock are the sockeye salmon (or any fish) that will be used for gamete collection. During the project, we collected our broodstock the day before each egg take. The range of our daily collection was from 220 fish (at the beginning and ending of the run) to 880 fish (the apex of the run). The broodstock were collected at a weir we had constructed 100 m upstream from the mouth of Bear Creek. The weir prohibited the salmon from migrating upstream and allowed us to collect the broodstock in a concentrated area. Furthermore, we were able to easily check the females for ripeness. Females were checked for ripeness by gently applying pressure between their pectoral fins. If eggs were expelled from the ovipositor or vent, the female was considered ripe. However, if there were no eggs expelled, the fish was passed upstream and not used for broodstock. The fish were caught using dip nets and once caught, the broodstock were placed in 8 x 6 x 3 net pens. The pens were held overnight and placed in a location with sufficient water flow. We constructed a small bivouac at the mouth of Bear Creek, from which we would collect our gametes. The cover of the structure housed us from the elements, as well as the sun, whose harmful ultraviolet rays could be detrimental to our salmon eggs. At the onset of the egg take, we set up three stations or duties: Killer, Spawner, and Bagger/Cupper). The following is an account of the techniques we employed during our remote gamete collection at Bear Creek. Pacific salmonids have developed a rather unique reproductive technique -- they die after spawning. Scientifically, this strategy is termed semelparity. Thus, the sockeye salmon used for gamete collection were sacrificed. The Killer used a small club to produce a swift, blunt blow to the head of fish. Once the fish was dead, the abdomen and especially the cloaca, or vent, was wiped with beta-dine, an Iodine based antiseptic that kills bacteria and viruses. This tactic was employed to control any waterborne or bloodborne pathogens, especially infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV), a common disease of sockeye salmon. After the fish was wiped down, it was placed on the spawning rack, a large aluminum table inundated with grooves for the fish rest. Both the females and the males were processed in this fashion. The next stop for the fish was the Spawner. The Spawn-er retrieved a fish from the spawning rack, wiped it clean of the beta-dine, and dried the vent of water. Water, can be quite a dangerous element during egg (Continued on page 5)

5 VOLUME 21, ISSUE 1 SMOLTS PAGE 5 take proceedings. Water not only harbors pathogens that can potentially decimate entire stocks of fish, but its physical and chemical properties threaten the viability of salmon eggs (water hardens eggs by closing the micropile, a small opening in which the sperm enters the egg and fertilizes it). Moreover, water prematurely activates sperm (sperm only remains motile for a few minutes) making it useless when used later for fertilization. Once properly wiped down, the fish was ready to have its gametes extracted. To collect the eggs from the female, the Spawner used a zac-knife to make a vertical incision from the vent to the mid-thoracic (between the pectoral fins) region. Once the coelom (body cavity) was opened, the ripe eggs were able to fall into a common zip-lock bag. The fish was discarded and the process repeated. However, the knife was placed in a Sockeye salmon eggs being stripped during an egg-take. beta-dine bath and another was used on the next fish. Switching knives helped prevent cross-contamination (horizontal transmission) of any bloodborne pathogens that might have been lurking about. The milt was collected quite differently. Pressure was applied to the Pictured above is a typical setup of an egg-take process area at Bear Creek on Tustumena Lake. The process begins as the technician retrieves a fish from the net pen (lower right). pectoral region of the fish and then downward toward the vent. In a milking -like fashion, the sperm was expelled into a small plastic cup. Egg bags and milt cups were handled and packed for transport by the Bagger/ cupper. Each bag of eggs and cup of milt were inspected for impurities that might have jeopardized the future health of the resultant fry or negatively affected the viability of the gametes. If any of the bags contained profuse amounts of blood, they were discarded. When a cup of milt inadvertently caught blood, excrement, or any other foreign material, it too was discarded. Thankfully, very few gametes were tainted. Once the gametes were inspected, their respective receptacle (bag or cup) was secured and placed into a cooler. The coolers used to house and transport the gametes were strategically packed to ensure gamete quality, as well as protection. Each cooler started with a layer of ice and two layers of beta-dine soaked burlap. The ice kept the gametes cool, while the beta-dine-laden burlap ensured that residual pathogens were eliminated. The bagged eggs were carefully layered on top of the burlap. Once an adequate number of bags, usually 35-40, were placed into the cooler, a layer of burlap was positioned over the eggs and the next cooler was packed in the same manner. After all the eggs were collected for the day, the milt was taken from the males. The newly filled milt cups were placed on top of the burlap covering the eggs. One more layer of burlap was placed atop the cups and covered in ice. The gametes were now ready for transportation. Once all eggs and sperm were collected for the day, the gamete coolers were loaded on to a floatplane. The plane transported its cargo to Lower Trail Lake where hatchery personnel were waiting to load the coolers onto a truck. The staff drove the gametes to Trail Lakes Hatchery to be fertilized. Once the fertilization process was completed, the very sensitive eggs were places into large incubators. The egg take project at Bear Creek was an over-all success. During our Nineteen days, we were able to procure 12,037,000 eggs, whose resultant fry will be stocked back into Bear Creek and Lower Cook Inlet Lakes (Hazel, Leisure, and Kirschner). These fry will go on to enhance their respective populations, for all user groups (commercial, sport, subsistence, and personal use) to enjoy. The Bear Creek/Tustumena A fish technician demonstrates the extraction of milt from a male sockeye salmon. Enhancement Project is one more way Cook Inlet Aquaculture Association is able to provide and protect your salmon resource. I would like to thank our seasonal crew, our full time staff, and especially the staff at Trail Lakes Hatchery for all of their help and support during this project.

6 PAGE 6 SMOLTS VOLUME 21, ISSUE 1 Tutka Bay Hatchery Explores New Methods for Spring Fry Release By: Kadeon Waite - Tutka Bay Hatchery Staff Last spring, 99 million pink salmon fry (Brood Year 2000) began their migration from the incubators within the Tutka Bay Lagoon Hatchery to the floating net pens on April 11, The release of the fry began on June 1 st of For the purpose of getting the fry away from all the predators in the lagoon, a greater portion of them were released out in the bay. To do this, two methods of release where implemented. The first scheme involved pumping the fish from the 40 X40 rearing nets into smaller nets. The smaller nets would each hold approximately two million fry. Using a boat, the nets were pushed out into the bay on an outgoing tide to prevent fry being crushed by the current. Because the process require quite a bit of time, only two small pens per tide were transported to the bay. Our second method utilized the new fish pump to pump the fry from the rearing pens onto a barge with oxygenated holding tanks. Once aboard the barge, the fry were transported and released into the bay. However, this method was slow and not without problems. 0nly 2.4 million fry were able to be transported on the barge at a time. Time and tides were, once again, the limiting factors and only one trip per day was allowed. Problems also arose in estimating the number of fry that were pumped into the tanks. Moreover, due to oxygen depletion caused by crowding, it was common for the fish to be released before arriving at the designated release site. To alleviate the headaches caused by the aforementioned problems, a new method of fry release will be employed this year. To begin ponding, two new 40ft x 40ft transportable nets, able to hold 9 million fry, will be filled initially. The net pens that comprise the complex will then be subsequently filled. At the time of release the two transportable pens will be pushed from the lagoon to Tutka Bay. The fry will then be released from these pens. The fry in the reaming stationary pens will be crowded with a small mesh net and pumped into the movable pens. Once again the pens will be taken to Tutka Bay; and the fry released. Two pens should be taken to the bay each day during high tide (on the ebb). Broodstock collection and sorting went very well this year. Dave Martin, President of CIAA, and his crew did an exceptional job of filling the sorting pens and making sure we had fish to sort when needed. Broodstock were caught with a seine net and delivered to us in good shape and unstressed. An experienced sorting crew was able to quickly and accurately distinguish between males and females and efficiently sorted the fish into our holding pens. Despite the excellent condition of the newly collected fish, abut 40% of our broodstock resulted in mortality. A series of very low high tides occurred during August. As a result, the water exchange in the lagoon was minimal for a week and the dissolved oxygen level was low enough to stress and kill the fish. Aerators and low salinity lenses our currently in the construction phase for this year to help alleviate the stress imposed upon the broodstock during long durations of low tides. With modifications and new plans set, a productive and successful field season for 2002 is quite feasible. Although the numbers of fish lost was substantial, a sufficient number of eggs were collected to meet the hatchery egg-take goal. Though, the original estimate of collected eggs was lower than anticipated, after the eggs were sorted (picked out the dead eggs) And receive free CIAA Gear! Please except my contribution of: $ٱ $ٱ $ٱ 5.00 $ٱ 1.00 $ٱ $ٱ $ٱ $ٱ $ٱ $ٱ With your contribution you will receive the following gift CIAA stocking hat.. $15.00 donation CIAA cap..... $20.00 donation CIAA zip-up fleece...$75.00 (or greater) donation ٱ or Navy ٱ Color: Gray ٱExtra-Large ٱLarge ٱMedium ٱSmall Name Address City State Zip - Phone ( ) - and counted the eggs, the results showed a resounding total of 102 million eyed-eggs. Currently the fish have hatched and the alevins are waiting for the proper time to pond. At the current rate of development, the fry should begin to migrate around mid- April. Last winter the power cable from the electric company shorted out under ground on the tide flats. Homer electric repaired it three times before it was fixed properly and on May 8 th it was reburied. Thankfully, the power to the hatchery has been quite dependable since. Coming Soon!! Smolts Online at: Please fill out form and cut along dotted line. Please send form, along with donation to: COOK INLET AQUACULTURE ASSOCIATON Kalifornsky Beach Rd. Kenai, AK We thank you for your support and dedication in our efforts to continue enhancement and rehabilitation of Cook Inlet Salmon. Each garment features an embroidery of the CIAA logo. Proceeds will help support our salmon habitat restoration projects

7 VOLUME 21, ISSUE 1 Trail Lakes Hatchery Takes Necessary Steps to Improve Production for 2002 By: Robert Blankenship TLH Assistant Manager The Trail Lakes Hatchery began the season with staff changes. Jeff Hetrick, manager of the hatchery since ADF&G transferred the facility to Cook Inlet Aquaculture Association in 1988, resigned and left the Association. George Bowden, who was the Tutka Bay Lagoon Hatchery manager, was hired as the new Trail Lakes Hatchery manager. After a very disappointing 2000 rearing season, the hatchery staff has worked with management and ADF&G Pathology Section on modifying the facility for successful, efficient hatchery production. Our primary goal is to prevent an IHN virus epidemic. The IHN virus occurs naturally in almost every known stock of sockeye salmon. Each stock has a different level and/or strain of the virus. The modified hatchery follows ADF&G pathology recommendations and will substantially reduce, but not entirely eliminate the likelihood of an IHN virus breakout within the hatchery. If there is an outbreak, our secondary goal is to contain and limit the outbreak to a specific area of the hatchery. This summer the hatchery was disinfected and sterilized following ADF&G guidelines. The hatchery was subdivided into four sockeye salmon compartmentalized incubation modules and a single module, comprised of four indoor raceways, designed for incubating and rearing Coho fry and SMOLTS smolts. Each sockeye module is independent of the others and houses only one sockeye salmon stock. Separating sockeye stocks into four modules will allow the IHN virus to be contained, thereby minimizing the number of fry which might be destroyed, should an IHNV outbreak occur. To prepare the modules for the 2001 egg-take season, the staff installed additional head boxes in each module, thus providing outlets for additional incubators to be placed in each module. A 6 inch separation between all incubators reduces the risk of cross-contamination and allows reducing egg-loading densities to within the recommended levels of 250, ,000 eggs per Kitoi box incubator. Each incubator was plumbed with an air entrapment device (burp tube) which should reduce the air problems in the incubators. The staff instituted routine prophylactic formalin treatments (1:600 formalin drips for 15 minutes three times per week) for controlling egg fungus. The staff is currently working on projects that will help improve this year s rearing season. Those projects include having D&R construction of Seward install three sets of double doors in three of the sockeye modules. The door installation will allow the staff to utilize aluminum raceways from the Crooked Creek Hatchery inside the incubation modules. Therefore, a portion of the Tustumena, Big Lake, and Bear Lake PAGE 7 (The Hidden Lake module does not need double doors because those fish are stocked as unfed fry and are never ponded) sockeye salmon can be reared indoors and ever exposed to predatory birds. Indoors rearing will improve the chances of successfully rearing these fish and allow for reduced loading densities in all the outside raceways. To protect fry reared outside, the staff will be installing a rack system which will support bird netting that will cover all outside raceways. The staff plans to maintain isolation of sockeye stocks by installing barriers between different stocks, as well as requiring stringent use of footbaths by staff and all hatchery visitors entering fish incubation and/or rearing areas. The staff looks forward to a successful rearing season. In addition to working on the modification projects for improving successful, efficient hatchery production the staff have been busy with normal hatchery operations which include: routine fish culture duties, egg-picking, otolith and scale analysis, and ongoing facility maintenance and repair. This year s thermalmarking program, which began on November 8 th of 2001, will continue until the end of January So far the Tustumena and Bear Lake sockeye fry, along with the Bear Lake presmolts, have been marked. During the 2001 egg-take, the staff met or exceeded all egg-take goals. Below is the current production status, as of December 21, 2001 at the Trail Lakes Hatchery Broodstock Source Tustumena Lake sockeye Big Lake sockeye Hidden Lake Sockeye Bear Lake sockeye Number Developmental Status Green egg to eyed-egg survival 10,923,000 hatching 90.75% 5,213,000 hatching 82.93% 1,234,000 eyed 92.60% 5,127,000 hatching 85.21% Bear Lake Coho Bear Lake Coho (BY 2000) 864, ,000 eyed 6.06g 82.10% Note: Above data published by Trail Lakes Hatchery in late December, Surprise Visit from Senator Murkowski Continued from Page 1 way to recoup cost. Our programs are good for the public, but are financially burdensome, and we must continue making fish for the benefit of the public. Senator Murkowski appeared somewhat surprised that aquaculture is funded predominantly by the commercial fisherman of the state, and that no funds are directed to aquaculture from the other users of the resource. Also, he was not aware that the state does not grant any monies for aquaculture in Cook Inlet. He acknowledged to the board members that things are not the same, and there are many complexities facing our industry. Prior to departing the meeting, Murkowski ask the board members to hang on, because this is a renewable resource, and that is why we are all here. The majority of the board appeared optimistic and supportive of the senator and his ability to listen to the conditions facing the industry and the possible tools available to jump start the industry. Representative Lancaster: First Contributor to CIAA s Enhancement Fund Ken Lancaster, representative from the Soldotna seat to the Alaska House of Representatives, became the first outside contributor to the CIAA s Enhancement Fund. This fund, created in May of 2001, will act as a supplement to the general fund to aide the Association in its mission - enhance salmon stocks and rehabilitate depressed salmon runs and diminishing salmon habitat. Thank you Representative Lancaster!

8 PAGE 8 SMOLTS VOLUME 21, ISSUE 1 Board of Fisheries VOTES NO on CIAA s Bear Lake Sockeye By: CIAA Staff Report In order to prevent potential allocation disputes in Resurrection Bay, Cook Inlet Aquaculture Association brought forth a Resurrection Bay cost recovery project proposal to the Board of Fisheries (BOF) for the November cycle meeting. The proposal was toiled over for three years until all party s involved (CIAA and the Lower Cook Inlet seine fleet) had rendered a compromise through the RPT process. The proposal allowed seine fishermen to harvest 66,000 of the returning sockeye from the Bear Lake system and, once this goal was met, gave CIAA full rights to the remaining return. The proposal went before the BOF because of the special harvest area considerations and the limitation on commercial harvest to 66,000 fish. Through the committee process, the proposal found little opposition. The few concerns expressed by the public involved worries of bycatch of coho and chum salmon and biological risks imposed upon the Bear Lake system. However, these issues were affectively addressed and cleared up by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. When the board convened to decide upon the cost recovery proposal, concern over competition between reintroduced sockeye populations (to rid Bear Lake of stickleback, ADF&G poisoned the lake in the early 1980 s; this also killed other resident species and sockeye had to be reintroduced to the system) with wild stocks in other areas of Alaska arose. Furthermore, Board members felt that though the plan was approved by the Cook Inlet Regional Planning Team (CIRPT) in 2000, it should have been reviewed and approved in Unfortunately, the CIPRT did not meet in 2001 since the ADF&G representative had been transferred, her position was not immediately filled, subsequently, the board failed action on the proposal by a vote of 7-0. Although the outcome has put a damper on the allocation issue, CIAA is still allowed to proceed on all aspects of the Bear Lake/Resurrection Bay cost recovery projects. The Board has basically handed the task of allocation to the ADF&G biologists, CIAA, and the fishermen. ADF&G s James Brady, Central Regional Supervisor, personally addressed the CIAA Board of Directors this January. Recognizing the need to both sustain the run of sockeye salmon and CIAA s need to secure money through cost recovery, Brady told the board that he and his staff would work with CIAA towards a management plan for Resurrection Bay. Once the issue of allocation is properly addressed and solved, the Bear Lake /Resurrection Bay cost recovery project could prove quite beneficial for CIAA and would allow for further enhancement and restoration projects to benefit all salmon user groups. PLEASE ADD THIS NAME TO YOUR REGULAR MAILING LIST If someone else should be receiving SMOLTS, please fill in their name and address below, or if you know anyone interested in summer employment, please pass this on to them. Title Send the next issue of SMOLTS Address 1 First Please send temporary summer employment information Last Name Address 2 May we always remember September 11, 2001 Feds Support Enhancement Continued from Page 1 one at Trail Lakes Hatchery, is granted $20K and $25K, respectively. 30K will be directed towards various smaller restoration projects within the Cook Inlet drainage. In February or 2002, the Aquaculture submitted to the Kenai Peninsula Borough a long term assistance program for the Cook Inlet fishing community through the continuation and development of rehabilitation and enhancement programs in the Cook Inlet drainage. The borough became very interested in the program and it soon moved to their priority list for consideration of federal funding. Representatives from the Association and the Borough went to Washington D.C. in March of this year to present this proposal to the Alaska Delegation in Washington, and members of the subcommittee on fisheries policy and conservation. COOK INLET AQUACULTURE ASSOCIATION Kalifornsky Beach Road Kenai, Alaska Phone: (907) Fax: (907) info@ciaanet.org Website: City Address State or Province ( ) - Phone Postal Code Rehabilitate, Protect, and Maximize, Cook Inlet Salmon