SMOLTS. Issue 76 Fall/Winter The Ups and Downs of Cost Recovery Harvests. Inside

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1 The Newsletter of the Cook Inlet Aquaculture Association The Ups and Downs of Cost Recovery Harvests Cost recovery harvest if you have been in the fishing industry you have probably heard that term before. For Cook Inlet Aquaculture Association (the Association), cost recovery harvest is one of the three revenue sources available for supporting the hatcheries and field projects we are involved in. The other two revenue sources are Salmon Enhancement Tax (SET) and grants. Cost recovery harvests are directly related to the hatchery production and can only occur in specific areas around the location(s) of hatchery stocking(s). These areas are called Special Harvest Areas or SHAs. These SHAs are defined in regulation and provide information on who, where, and when fishing can take place in that area. Issue 76 Fall/Winter 2016 Until just recently, the Association has relied on one species (sockeye) and one location (Resurrection Bay) for the majority of the cost recovery harvest, leaving the other SHAs (Tutka Bay, Kirschner, China Poot, and Neptune Bay) for common property fishing. However, as any fisherman can attest, the actual returns don't always equal the projected returns. It is always nice when the returns are higher than projected but are disappointing when they come in lower. This is even more significant when relying on one species and one area. Cost recovery harvest, Tutka Bay Lagoon, Number of salmon harvested as cost recovery 160, , , ,000 80,000 60,000 40,000 20, Year Figure 1 shows the number of salmon in the cost recovery harvest over the last 10 years at Resurrection Bay. As the figure indicates the cost recovery harvest at Resurrection Bay over this period can be described as a roller coaster with one year being excellent and the next year being a disappointment. This variability makes it very difficult to build and improve programs. This was the situation that the Association was facing until 2010, when the Board of Directors decided to reopen Tutka Bay Lagoon Hatchery (TBLH) for pink production. The Association also took over ownership/operation of the Port Graham Hatchery (PGH) in 2014 again focusing on pink salmon. Not only will the operation at these two facilities increase the number of locations where cost recovery can occur, it also provides for species diversification. The benefits of this diversification were evident in Once again, Resurrection Bay came in lower than projected despite a successful return in Normally, this would have created significant financial hardship for the organization. See page 3, COST RECOVERY Figure 1. Number of salmon harvested for cost recovery in Resurrection Bay, Inside Board member profile: Matt Alward Page 2 Staff highlights Page 2 BOD update Page 2 Executive Director s message Page 3 Accessing data and reports Page 5 Alaska salmon hatcheries Page 6 Education and outreach Page 7 New grant Page 7 PRSRT STD US Postage PAID Anchorage, AK Permit #957 Counting salmon smolt at Kasilof Page 4 Community persepctive Page 5

2 Issue 76 PAGE 2 FALL/WINTER 2016 Board member profile: Matt Alward One of the newest members of the Cook Inlet Aquaculture Association s Board of Directors is Matt Alward from Homer. As a small business owner, commercial fisherman, and dedicated volunteer in support of the maritime industry, Matt brings a wealth of experience and enthusiasm to the Board. Matt grew up in Berkeley, California in the construction business. His father, Keith, is a contractor who taught Matt the fine details of carpentry. One of the highlights of this work was helping his father rebuild a Frank Lloyd Wright home the Buehler Home that had been partially destroyed by fire. As an 18 year old who always wanted to come to Alaska, Matt hitched a ride with a friend and arrived in Homer in He quickly started working in construction but found limited opportunities for the finely-detailed finish work that he preferred. He started working in the fishing industry in 1994 when he took a job herring fishing in Kodiak. During the winter of , Matt landed a job repairing seine nets for Dan Moran, who owned the shop Just Knots in Homer. Matt learned to repair and build nets. He applied the same attention to detail to this job as he had in construction. Matt stayed focused on the net business for several years, eventually taking over the business from Dan in Matt renamed the business to Bulletproof Nets, Inc. He took the business from three employees completing 30 seine nets a year to employees and a business partner currently completing 90 nets a year. If anyone told me I would make a career in gear work, I would have told them they were nuts, said Matt. Being on the leading edge of innovation in design and materials is what motivates Matt. If we built the perfect net, then I will quit and move onto other challenges. Matt also stayed in the fishing business with ventures into longlining and scallop fishing, along with herring and salmon seining. He purchased his first seiner in 2004, the 32-foot Shrike, and fished in lower Cook Inlet. In 2008, he purchased the 53-foot Challenger, and seines in Kodiak. Matt also has employed his children (Quinn 17; Naomi 21; and Eliott 23) as deckhands and his wife Rene is the bookkeeper for Bulletproof Nets. Matt s professional life has lead to a very busy volunteer life. He currently volunteers for the Homer Marine Trades Association, North Pacific Fisheries Association, United Fishermen of Alaska, Seafood Harvesters of America, and the Cook Inlet Aquaculture Association. He serves as a board member or committee member for many of these organizations. Matt is also active in Maritime Works, an effort to support and sustain Alaska s maritime workforce development plan put forth by the State of Alaska, the University of Alaska, and various fisheries, seafood, and marine Staff highlights In the fall of 2015, we had three staff members resign their positions at Tutka Bay Lagoon Hatchery. Dale Brewster, Miranda Green, and Jake Rice all decided to pursue other career avenues. Two of the three openings have been filled. Adam Sullivan has been hired as a Fish Culturist. Adam comes to us from the Lower 48 where he had been working in the aquaculture industry. Charles Wlasniewski has also been hired as a Fish Culturist. Charles has experience working in Alaska s hatchery program most recently with Kodiak Regional Aquaculture Association. The third opening will be filled later this spring when feeding activities pick up. Earlier in the summer, biologist Matt Smukall left to pursue his Ph.D. Matt began his employment at the Association as an intern and was involved in operating the northern pike project in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley. The vacant biologist position was filled in January 2016 by Rodney Hobby. Rodney started with the Association as a seasonal assistant on the Kasilof Project (see page 3) in He recently graduated from the University of Alaska Fairbanks with a degree in fisheries. Seasonal positions for 2016 will be open soon. Please visit industry sectors. When asked why he volunteers, Matt replied I want to try and give back to the industry that made me and it is important to keep the industry viable. You would think between his business, fishing, and volunteering, Matt would have little time for anything else. But, he has been on the same co-ed softball team in Homer for 22 years and manages to get in four to five games before having to leave for fishing. One spring, he had a net in his shop that was due to the owner the next day. He took a break from the net, and went to a softball game where he ran into the short stop while chasing a fly ball. This resulted in a torn ACL. Rather than seek medical attention, he went back and finished the net for the client, working until 3:00 a.m. He eventually did get to a doctor, but this illustrates the work ethic that Matt hopes to foster in youth by volunteering with groups that work with students such as the Homer Marine Trade Association and Maritime Works. Matt started volunteering with Cook Inlet Aquaculture Association early in He took over the Cook Inlet Seiners Association seat formerly held by Alex Roth and sits on the Finance Committee. Matt joined the Association because he believes it to be an asset to the community he sees an important role for the Association in the contentious salmon fisheries in Cook Inlet. We need to help ease the tension between commercial and sport interests by using the Association to enhance fisheries for all users, said Matt. He went on to explain that fisheries are enhanced by producing hatchery-raised salmon or by initiating habitat projects such as looking for the invasive water weed elodea in high-priority lakes in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley. Matt recognizes that the Association also is faced with challenges, such as getting enough eggs in its hatcheries to make them successful. As demonstrated by his professional and personal endeavors, Matt enjoys a challenge and working on complex problems. His passion for hard work will help lead the Association to future successes. Board of Directors update Board member Steve Tvenstrup has stepped down as one of the two the United Cook Inlet Drift Association representatives on the Board of Directors. Steve served on the Executive Committe as well. He is replaced on the Board by Bob Merchant, who is no stranger to the Association having served on the board previously. Steve s service to the Board is much appreciated and we welcome Bob back! None of the five at-large Board of the Directors seats expire this year. Look for future vacancies and election information later this fall. The next Board of Directors meeting will be held in the CIAA meeting room on January 16, 2016 at 10:00 a.m. The 39th Annual Meeting will be February 20, 2016 at 10:00 a.m. Open to the public. Matt Alward, Director

3 FALL/WINTER 2016 Issue 76 Executive Director s message In the previous issue of Smolts I wrote about the formation of the Aquaculture Association and the diversity of our programs and Cook Inlet. I would like to continue that discussion further as it relates to the challenges and opportunities we experienced this year for generating our operating funds. First, the Association has both long- and short-term goals for its hatchery programs. A short-term goal is to rebuild the hatchery programs in lower Cook Inlet. This is driven by our mission to provide additional fish for harvest and by a need to stabilize our cost recovery funding by diversifying our harvest opportunities. Over the long term, stabilized cost recovery funding will allow the Association to conduct salmon rehabilitation projects in other areas of Cook Inlet. For several years the Association operated one hatchery, Trail Lakes, with a limited number of sockeye programs. Gary Fandrei, Executive Director When the sockeye returns were down, Association-generated funds were also down. We struggled to maintain the programs that provided additional fish for common property harvest, and also the harvest opportunities that provided the funds needed for future operations and assessments. We haven t quite met our short-term goal of rebuilding the lower Cook Inlet hatchery programs and diversifying our cost recovery harvest opportunities yet, but the 2015 cost recovery harvest provides a good example of how future hatchery cost recovery programs will mutually support each other, stabilize funding, and provide future harvest opportunities for common property and cost recovery harvests. In late 2014 and early 2015, the Board of Directors met to set the hatchery programs for the upcoming year. Staff were directed to identify the cost of operating these programs and estimate the funds needed from cost recovery harvests to balance the budget. Based on the 2015 projected operating expenses and fish returns, we believed we could secure our 2015 financial cost recovery need from sockeye salmon returning to Resurrection Bay. Sockeye, pink, and coho salmon returning to other sites Port Graham, Tutka Bay, English Bay Second Lake, Leisure Lake, Hazel Lake, Kirschner Lake and Hidden Lake would all be available for common property harvest. Focusing on Resurrection Bay entirely for cost recovery would have turned out to be a huge mistake for the Association. The number of sockeye returning to Resurrection Bay was disappointing and it looked like our 2015 cost recovery harvest was going to fall far short of the goal. However, based on past experience, the staff and the Board of Directors had considered that the Resurrection Bay sockeye return could be low and there may be a need to conduct a harvest in another area (see the cover article on cost recovery). In 2015, the Tutka Bay Lagoon Hatchery pink salmon return was strong and we were able to redirect the cost recovery harvest to pink salmon. We did not meet our 2015 cost recovery goal, but the 2015 cost recovery harvest wasn t a failure. The harvest strategy demonstrated the value of producing more than one species of salmon and that our hatchery programs do mutually support each other. There are many unknowns in operating hatchery programs that can result in some surprises. We make good projections on operating costs, but projecting fish returns is more challenging. We believe operating three hatcheries and producing more than one species provides greater opportunity to secure the funds needed to operate not only the hatcheries, but also to support the projects we conduct to evaluate our hatchery programs and to rehabilitate and maintain naturally-spawned salmon. Cost Recovery continued from page 1 6% However, the return of pink salmon to Tutka helped soften the low sockeye salmon returns at Resurrection Bay (Table 1), with the best marine survival recorded since the Association took over operations of TBLH from the State of Alaska (Figure 2) in In 2014, TBLH released 51 million pink salmon fry at Tutka Bay. In 2015, cost recovery harvest of pink salmon return to the hatchery was 2,141,201, generating revenue of $1,357,799. Add to that the number of broodstock used, escapement to Tutka Creek and the commercial harvest, over 2.47 million fish returned for 4.84% marine survival. TBLH and PGH s programs are still in the developmental stages and the true potential for each program won t be seen for a couple more years but if this year s return at TBLH is any indication, the decision to diversify the Association s hatchery program was the right one. The diversification will provide not only stability to CIAA s operations by removing the peaks and valleys of one location/one species, but also provide greater opportunity for common property fishing. Imagine what can occur when all locations and all species are experiencing good returns. Table 1. Summary of 2015 cost recovery harvest. Percentage of marine survival 5% 4% 3% 2% 1% 0% Return year Figure 2. Pink salmon marine survival, TBLH, , SHA location Species Number of salmon Revenue Resurrection Bay/Bear Lake Sockeye 94,652 $906,761 Tutka Bay Sockeye 31,105 $173,741 Tutka Bay Pink 2,141,201 $1,357,799 China Poot/Neptune Bay Sockeye 0 $0 Kirschner Sockeye 23,571 $130,402 PAGE 3

4 Issue 76 FALL/WINTER 2016 Counting salmon smolt at Kasilof Every year the Association operates smolt traps and salmon weirs to count the numbers of salmon either leaving or returning to a system. These data are important to evaluate natural salmon populations, the performance of salmon habitat improvement, and hatchery release projects. Salmon population data are also used by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) for fisheries management. During the summer of 2015, salmon data (smolt and/or adult) were collected for Bear, English Bay, Hidden, Leisure, and Tustumena lakes on the Kenai Peninsula, and Shell Lake in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley (see page 5 Accessing data and reports ). For the 17th year under the Association s operation, in early summer 2015, a crew of two stationed themselves at the Kasilof River, the outlet to Tustumena Lake to count salmon smolts, primarily sockeye. The purpose of this project is to evaluate the salmon population rearing in Tustumena Lake. Although it is now a salmon enumeration project for CIAA, it began in the 1970s as an enhancement project. In 1974, ADF&G conducted the first sockeye salmon egg take in Tustumena Lake for the newly-opened Crooked Creek Hatchery located in Kasilof. Sockeye salmon eggs were collected annually by ADF&G from 1975 through 1993 for releases back to Tustumena Lake and several other sites throughout the Cook Inlet drainage. In 1993, the operation of the Crooked Creek Hatchery including the Tustumena Lake sockeye enhancement project was transferred to the Association. ADF&G continued to conduct enumeration activities associated with the Tustumena Lake smolt and adult sockeye salmon migrations while the Association accepted responsibility to oversee and conduct the broodstock collection, incubation and rearing, and fry releases. Tustumena Lake is a designated wilderness area and is entirely enclosed within the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. Due to this designation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) called into question the compatibility of the Tustumena Lake enhancement project with the refuge purposes. In 2002, issuance of a permit for the Tustumena enhancement project was legally challenged. By 2004, the Association was no longer able to obtain a permit from the USFWS to continue operations on Tustumena Lake and all enhancement activities were suspended. Hatchery-incubated sockeye salmon released as fry in 2004 were projected to migrate out of Tustumena Lake through Sampling procedures to estimate the hatchery contribution to the smolt migration were discontinued after smolt trap near the confluence of Crooked Creek and Kasilof River. The trap is suspended between a system of pontoons and is anchored down to the substrate. The design allows water to flow up the incline, and pour down a series of live boxes, were smolt are captured. In 2015, the field crew lived at the Crooked Creek State Park for the duration of the smolt migration. Every day they took a small boat out to the trap to check for smolts they count not only sockeye salmon, but also note any other species of fish caught in the trap. In addition to the daily counts, staff collected a sample of sockeye smolt to determine age, weight, and length. Several scales were removed and mounted on a glass slide for subsequent age determination. One of every 500 sockeye smolt captured in the trap was measured using nonlethal procedures. These fish were released back to Kasilof River. Because the trap cannot capture every smolt swimming down the wide Kasilof River, a mark-recapture study to estimate the total population is used. Once a week, staff collected 1,000 sockeye smolt for this study. These fish were held in a large oxygenated-tank in the bed of a CIAA truck and temporarily dyed a gold color. The dyed fish were then transported upriver to a release site above the Sterling Highway Bridge. The dyed fish that are recaptured in the trap were then counted to determine the percentage of fish that are being caught by the trap. Typically the dye wears off after four or five days and does not harm the fish. Six mark-recapture tests were conducted in Despite losing the enhancement project, the Association continued to enumerate the Tustumena Lake smolt migration in the Kasilof River, and today this project, in conjunction with the adult counts conducted by ADF&G, provides valuable information about the health of the Tustumena Lake sockeye salmon population. Although smolt enumeration projects for CIAA have become routine, the unique challenges of working on the Kasilof River make the field work far from routine. Rather than using a traditional smolt trap that spans across a small outlet, the width of the Kasilof River requires the use of an incline Dyed salmon smolt, Kasilof River, Between May 19 and July 4, 2015, staff counted 319,156 sockeye smolt in the trap. By incorporating the results of the mark-recapture study, it is estimated that 9.8 million sockeye smolt migrated out of Tustumena Lake. The 2015 migration was nearly 3 million above that estimated in 2013 (7 million) and is about 4 million above the average of 5.9 million. This average does not include data from 2014 or 2011, which were not collected. The 2015 migration is the highest recorded since the hatchery contribution ended in Setting up the smolt trap, showing the width of the Kasilof River at the trap site, PAGE 4 The 2015 smolt project operated with funding provided by a State of Alaska Legislative Grant and ADF&G. Because of a lack of funding the project was not operated in 2014 and is not slated to operate in 2016 unless additional funding can be found. With the different fishing pressures on Cook Inlet salmon in general, it is vital to keep monitoring the health of the Kasilof River salmon population because it is the second-most import river, behind the Kenai River, in upper Cook Inlet in terms of producing salmon. Gary Fandrei, CIAA s Executive Director, highlighted the importance of projects like this one to fisheries management, Projects, like the Kasilof River smolt migration, provide good information for management decisions. Without good information, fisheries are managed conservatively. Good information results in more harvest opportunities.

5 FALL/WINTER 2016 Issue 76 Community perspective This issue s guest column is by Linda Swarner, Executive Director, Kenai Peninsula Food Bank. The Kenai Peninsula Food Bank provides food to Kenai Peninsula residents from Seward to Homer and across the Inlet to Tyonek. In the mid-80s founder Linda Parker noticed her neighbors dumpster diving for food so they could feed their families. Ms. Parker and other concerned residents formed the Food Bank organization incorporating in 1988 as a 501 (c) (3) organization. As a Feeding America Food Bank the Kenai Peninsula Food Bank is part of the largest network of Food Banks in the US. The Kenai Peninsula Food Bank is the only organization that provides complete cooked meals from its facility via a diner. During the first ten months of 2015, staff assisted over 700 households each month. Ten years ago staff assisted less than 500 households. A food bank client might be the senior next door who has $102 left after paying his utilities for the month. This has to pay for gas to get to doctor s appointments plus food and incidentals like toilet paper and soap and any extra medication. Or a client could be the single parent working in the service field who just had a large car repair bill or medical emergency. Today staff and volunteers process a million pounds of food, half gleaned from local grocery stores five days a week. Incoming food is also received from the USDA programs Temporary Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) and Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP). Individuals donate via food drives or by bringing food to the facility on the corner of Kalifornsky Beach Road and Community College Drive. Processors donate excess fish or unclaimed products. SeaShare fish ( is acquired directly or via the Food Bank of Alaska. Other inventory is gleaned from wholesalers, farmers and gardeners and grown in the Food Bank s garden and Hoop House. Food distribution programs providing food directly to residents include the USDA programs, Direct Service (similar to a Food Pantry) and Fireweed Diner meals. The TEFAP inventory includes canned Alaska salmon. The Warehouse Program allows 70 members, Linda Swarner removing ice from a tote full of pink salmon. churches and nonprofit organizations like the Boys & Girls Club and Senior Centers, to feed low income, frail and needy individuals via their feeding programs. The Cook Inlet Aquaculture Association (CIAA) provided protein to Kenai Peninsula residents earlier this year. The Kenai Peninsula Food Bank partnered with CIAA in July with the shipment of three totes of pinks from the Tutka Bay Lagoon Hatchery to the Food Bank Facility. A staff member picked up the fish in Homer the late afternoon of July 2nd. The first tote of approximately 400 fish were processed by Soldotna Rotary Club members and a Food Bank Board member at the beginning of a busy 4th of July weekend. Rotarians filleted while the Board member sealed fillets using a commercial sealer. Food Bank clients were given the opportunity to process their own fish the following week. Fresh pinks were baked and served to Fireweed Diner attendees and frozen fillets were distributed directly to clients in the Direct Service Program. Clients appreciated the high source of protein as some can no longer physically fish nor do they have someone to fish for them. The Food Bank is very grateful for CIAA s support throughout the years. Crew members have graciously brought end-of-season camp food annually to us. We look forward to continued partnership! Kenai Peninsula Food Bank volunteers filleting pink salmon donated by CIAA, For more information or how you can continue our mission of No one deserves to be hungry please contact Linda Swarner, Executive Director at or kpfoodbanked@acsalaska.net. Visit us on Facebook or at the website Upcoming events include the Pick. Click.Give program, Clash of the Culinary King s on April 2nd and Soup Supper & Auction in August. Accessing data and reports Each field season, smolt enumeration and adult escapement data are posted to CIAA s website ( data.html) daily. When the field season is over, staff begins the job of reviewing all the data collected, which typically includes environmental data associated with the monitoring, and for some water bodies, limnological data. Once the data are reviewed for accuracy, the lead biologist will start analyzing the data and preparing progress and/or grant reports. These reports can be read or downloaded at ciaanet.org/data/project-reports.html. Collecting salmon scales for aging, Hidden Lake, PAGE 5

6 Issue 76 FALL/WINTER 2016 Alaska salmon hatcheries: not your old school production programs Is an Alaska hatchery-raised salmon different from a wild salmon? It isn t and this important fact is often misunderstood and leads to misconceptions about Alaska s private nonprofit hatchery program (PNP). There are important distinctions between Alaska s salmon hatcheries and those found in the other areas of the United States and other nations. The first distinction is related to the purpose of salmon hatcheries in Alaska. The Alaska hatchery program is designed to increase salmon abundance and enhance fisheries, but only when naturally-spawned stocks are protected. This contrasts sharply with salmon hatcheries elsewhere, where hatcheries were often built to replace salmon habitat lost to land use decisions such as erecting dams. Hatcheries in those areas, such as Washington state, have been used to replace natural salmon production lost to development and other human decisions. Figure Figure Commercial harvest harvest of salmon of salmon in Alaska in Alaska, Source: Vercessi, L Alaska salmon fisheries enhancement program 2013 annual report. Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Fishery Management Report 15-15, Anchorage. Alaska s hatchery program supplements natural production, and provides stability in the year-to-year harvest of salmon by the common property fisheries personal, sport, subsistence, and commercial. Figure 1 shows Alaska s commercial salmon harvests since 1900, highlighting the hatchery program contributions. The hatchery contribution has not supplanted naturally-spawned salmon. And in fact, the contribution of hatchery-produced salmon can decrease fishing pressure on naturally-spawned wild stocks. For comparison, the State of Washington reported that a tagging study found 75% of the salmon caught in Puget Sound and 90% of the salmon caught in Columbia River originate from hatcheries ( Washington has had hatchery programs in place for over a century because of land use decisions and the subsequent loss of native stocks. Although in recent years, states such as Washington have added native salmon stock conservation to the role of their hatcheries. Another important distinction between salmon hatcheries in Alaska and elsewhere is how the salmon are raised. In Alaska, hatchery salmon are only in the hatchery during the early juvenile life stage, and then they are released to the wild. By design, only local stocks are permitted for use and steps are taken to preserve local genetic profiles. There are other important considerations such as run timing that limit the interactions between hatchery-raised and naturally-spawned salmon. And there are policies in place that ensure there is no manipulation of the stock used in a hatchery program. Under the Alaska hatchery program, sperm (milt) and eggs are collected from local stocks, and the fertilized eggs are incubated at hatcheries. Once the fry emerge, they are transferred to rearing areas, such as raceways or net pens. The young fish are then released to the ocean where they live most of their life cycle. This is often called ocean ranching. The time the fish spend in the hatchery is limited compared to the time they spend in the wild. For example, when salmon are reared in saltwater net pens, the length of time spent in a net pen is typically less than 3 months, then the fish are released to the wild where they spend from 1 to 4 or 5 years. At some salmon production facilities outside of Alaska, salmon may be grown to market size (from egg to adult) in a contained system, which is commonly referred to as fish farming. It is important to understand that Alaska salmon hatcheries do not operate in this way. So, why are we bringing all this up? We are hoping that a better understanding about our current hatchery operations will clear up some of the misconceptions about salmon hatcheries in Alaska. For example, recently a few people expressed concern over the net pens we hope to move to the head of the Tutka Bay Lagoon (see page 6) and one of the concerns was the year-round operation of net pens. However, when we rear salmon in a net pen it is for less than 3 months, and not year-round. It is also important to understand that hatchery-raised salmon in Alaska are only here because the programs are set up to prioritize naturally-spawned salmon first. The PNP salmon hatcheries around the state, including those operated by the Association, provide salmon to enhance fisheries. Because of the way the hatcheries are operated and regulated, you can be sure that when you harvest or eat an Alaska salmon, you are getting a wild Alaska salmon, whether it began its life in a hatchery or not. Trail Lakes Hatchery Port Graham Hatchery Tutka Bay Lagoon Hatchery PAGE 6

7 FALL/WINTER 2016 Issue 76 Education and outreach Summer months are always busy for the Association in terms of hatchery operations and other field work. The opportunities for education and outreach are also bountiful this time of year and the Association tries to take advantage of these opportunities to not only talk about its operations, but also to provide education surrounding healthy salmon. Below are just a few of the highlights from this summer. The Association continued partnering with ADF&G to engage kids and their families in the anatomy of salmon at the 25th annual Kenai River Festival in June. Staff member Cathy Cline, along with Patti Berkhahn of ADF&G, demonstrated how to dissect a salmon and explained salmon anatomy and how it functions. Many thanks to Snug Harbor Seafoods for the donation of salmon for the dissections. In July, staff members Gary Fandrei and Lisa Ka aihue presented the Association s enhancement program to a group of food experts that were brought to Alaska by the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute. This was a great opportunity to discuss the role of salmon hatcheries in Alaska to national and internationals chefs and food critics. Dissecting salmon, Kenai River Festival, In August, staff members volunteered at the Silver Salmon Derby in Seward. The Association has supported this event for a number of years by producing juvenile coho salmon for the derby. Also in August, the Association received an Outstanding Fish Producer Award at the annual Industry Appreciation Day held in Kenai. We were honored to be the recipient of this award. Whew, it was a busy summer for outreach! Later in the summer, the Association worked with the Matanuska-Susitna Salmon Habitat Partnership to provide a site tour of some of the Partnership s projects. The Matanuska-Susitna Basin Salmon Habitat Partnership was formed to address increasing impacts on salmon habitat from human use and development in the Matanuska-Susitna Basin with a collaborative, cooperative and nonregulatory approach, bringing together over 60 diverse organizations to date. The Partnership has funded over 70 projects since 2006 and this site tour was an opportunity to highlights some of those projects and successes. The Association provided a tour of its Shell Lake camp and an overview of its project there (see below). Participants included regulators, legislators, Native organizations, and members of the public. As mentioned in the cost recovery article on page 1, one of the Association s revenue sources is grants. Over the last 40 years of operation, the Association has received millions of dollars in grant funding, including some significant legislative grants for capital improvements to its hatcheries. Every year, the Association applies for grants to support its operations. This year the Association received a grant from the Matanuska-Susitna Borough for nearly $85,000 to support the monitoring of sockeye salmon smolt and adults at Shell Lake, and engage in northern pike research to explore some of the potential consequences of pike suppression on salmon. This project is part of a much broader rehabilitation project at Shell Lake initiated in 2012 by the Association. Shell Lake in the Susitna River Watershed was once a significant contributor to the sockeye production in the Susitna River Watershed. Beginning in the mid-2000s, the Association monitoring of the sockeye salmon smolt migration and the adult sockeye returns showed a steady decline in numbers. It was determined that invasive northern pike, a disease caused by the microsporidian Loma salmonidae, and another parasite known to cause Proliferative Kidney Disease (PKD) were all having a negative effect on the population of sockeye salmon. To circumvent the loss of sockeye fry by the northern pike and to break the disease cycle of Loma salmonidae and PKD, the Association began a rehabilitation program in 2012, which included salmon stocking, northern pike harvesting, and disease monitoring. The Association s goal is to restore the Shell Lake salmon population to a sustainable level. With support from the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, the Association plans to continue this important work to restore healthy salmon runs to Shell Lake. The Association applied for a number of grants in 2015 and although some were not funded, others are still under consideration. By having diversity in its revenue stream, the Association is able to focus not only on hatchery operations, but also on protecting wild salmon runs and the habitats those salmon rely upon. Left to right: staff members Caroline Cherry, Rodney Hobby, Cathy Cline, and Emily Heale, Silver Salmon Derby, Seward, Accepting the Outstanding Fish Producer Award Left to right: Senator Peter Micciche, Board President Brent Johnson, Executive Director Gary Fandrei, and Kenai Peninsula Borough Mayor, Mike Navarre, New grant to support salmon work in the Mat-Su PAGE 7

8 Issue 76 FALL/WINTER 2016 Board of Directors Matanuska-Susitna Borough Brian Bohman Municipality of Anchorage Vacant Kenai Peninsula Borough Brent Johnson, President City of Seward Tim McDonald Inlet Wide Commercial Fishermen Representative Christine Brandt, 1st Vice President Carl Hatten John McCombs Paul Roth Robert Correia City of Kachemak Emil Beaver Nelson, 2nd Vice President North Pacific Fisheries Association Jessie Nelson, Secretary John Gucer Kenai Peninsula Fisherman s Association Will Faulkner Vacant Northern District Setnetters of Cook Inlet Page Herring Kenny Rodgers City of Homer Mark Roth United Cook Inlet Drift Association Dyer VanDevere Bob Merchant Port Graham/Nanwalek Representative Vacant Processor Representative Vince Goddard Tim Schmidt Cook Inlet Region, Inc. Paul Shadura II Cook Inlet Fishermen s Fund Dave Martin, Treasurer Stephen Vanek Cook Inlet Seiners Association Matt Alward Jacob Wise CIAA Staff and Locations Headquarters Gary Fandrei, Executive Director Ron Carlson, Project Technician Caroline Cherry, Hatchery Operations Coordinator Cathy Cline, Temporary Project Technician Emily Heale, Temporary Project Technician Rodney Hobby, Biologist Lisa Ka aihue, Special Projects Manager Barbara Morgan, Accounting Specialist/Office Assistant Andy Wizik, Biologist Kalifornsky Beach Road, Kenai, Alaska Trail Lakes Hatchery Tom Prochazka, Hatchery Manager Kristin Beck, Assistant Hatchery Manager Mike Cooney, Fish Culturist Jennifer Mevissen, Fish Culturist Vacant, Temporary Fish Culturist P.O. Box 29, Moose Pass, Alaska Tutka Bay Lagoon Hatchery Dean Day, Hatchery Manager Vacant, Assistant Hatchery Manager Adam Sullivan, Fish Culturist Charles Wlasniewski, Fish Culturist P.O. Box 3389, Homer, Alaska Port Graham Hatchery Mike Smimmo, Hatchery Manager Vacant, Assistant Hatchery Manager Ephim Anahonak, Fish Culturist Vacant, Temporary Fish Culturist P.O. Box 5547, Port Graham, Alaska NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN Subscribe to Smolts If you are not currently receiving Smolts and would like to keep up with Cook Inlet Aquaculture Association news, you can subscribe to Smolts. We publish Smolts twice yearly. This publication is mailed free to all limited-entry salmon permit holders for purse seine, drift gillnet, and setnet in Area H. It is also mailed free to any person interested in CIAA. We invite you to connect with CIAA on our Facebook page at PAGE 8 To receive Smolts, send a request with your name, your organization s name, and your address to: Smolts, Kalifornsky Beach Road, Kenai, AK or to lisak@ciaanet.org. For change of address for permit holders, notify Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission (CFEC), P.O. Box , Juneau, AK , or call them at We use mailing labels from the CFEC. If your address is wrong, please contact CFEC; we cannot correct your address.