SMOLTS. Protecting salmon populations through research and on-the-ground control of invasive species

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1 The Newsletter of the Cook Inlet Aquaculture Association Protecting salmon populations through research and on-the-ground control of invasive species Spring/Summer 2018 What are you doing about invasive northern pike? That was a good question posed by a member of the public at a recent Cook Inlet Aquaculture Association (CIAA) Board of Directors meeting. The answer is that CIAA has been doing a lot to protect salmon and salmon habitat through its invasive species work, which is guided by CIAA s Strategic Plan. The plan directs CIAA to: Cooperate, when possible, with other organizations to identify, eradicate, manage, or control invasive species that are negatively impacting salmon and salmon habitats and initiate, where appropriate, efforts to rehabilitate impacted salmon populations and their habitat. So, why did we choose to focus on invasive species in our Strategic Plan? Because CIAA recognizes that invasive species are one of the greatest threats to salmon habitat and native salmon populations in the Cook Inlet watershed. The two invasive species that have been identified to be the biggest threat to salmon in the Cook Inlet region right now are northern pike, an invasive predatory fish, and Elodea, an invasive aquatic water weed. We have focused on these two species through a number of projects and collaborations. A lot of effort has been invested by CIAA in researching, monitoring, and/or controlling pike and Elodea. Northern pike background Northern pike are native to most regions in Alaska, but not the Southcentral region. In regions of Alaska where pike are native, salmon production has been limited to those systems that have ample deep water refuge areas. Most shallow, weedy systems are dominated by pike and produce very few if any juvenile salmon. Because pike expanded into these areas thousands of years ago, it appears as if salmon and pike are coexisting. In fact, there would be far greater salmon production in these shallow lakes if pike were not present. In the Southcentral region, many of the key salmon producing systems are in ideal pike habitat. Once pike are introduced to a system where they are not native, they can rapidly take over and decimate the native fish, particularly juvenile fish in shallow, weedy lakes. For example, northern pike are the likely cause of the devastating decline of salmon in Weighing coho smolt taken from a northern pike s stomach, Chelatna Lake. Alexander Creek located in the Susitna watershed. The creek is a shallow, weedy system, which once supported a world-famous king salmon sport fishery. But nearby Chelatna Lake, which has limited pike habitat and a lot of deep water refuge, continues to be a top producer of salmon in the watershed, despite having a known invasive pike population in it. It is believed that northern pike were probably introduced on purpose in the Susitna region in the 1950s. They have been illegally released into other lakes and systems in the region and have spread through connected waterways. It was illegal stocking that introduced northern pike to the Soldotna Creek drainage in the 1970s. There are now over 100 lakes and systems in the Cook Inlet region where invasive pike populations have been reported, and salmon declines have been noted in many of the systems that lack ample deep water refuge. If northern pike are allowed to spread unchecked in the Susitna watershed, salmon production is expected to be severely curtailed in many of the lakes that have historically been contributors to the salmon run. See page 6, INVASIVE SPECIES Inside Board member profile: Dale Bagley Page 2 Community perspective Page 3 Executive Director s message Page releases Page 7 BOD update Page 7 Staff highlights Page 7 PRSRT STD US Postage PAID Anchorage, AK Permit # returns Page 4 Tutka Bay net pens Page 5 Education Page 5

2 SPRING/SUMMER 2018 Board member profile: Dale Bagley Board member Dale Bagley remembers distinctly the moment he accepted a seasonal job with CIAA. The year was 1983 and Dale was just a year out of Soldotna High School. He and his good friend Steve Wahl decided they would gold pan in the summer and trap in the winter. After two weeks of gold panning at Canyon Creek, the young men had little to show for their work about 0.5 ounces of gold worth about $190 at the time. Dale s father came to get them and said I am not taking you back until you meet with Pat Marcuson, who was the CIAA biologist at the time. As Dale tells it, So we went in and met with Pat, and he says I am a little nervous about you two but hear from the Alecksons [good friends of the Bagley family] that you guys are always outdoors and doing outdoors stuff. I have a problem I can t find people that are used to living out in the bush in Alaska in tents. I also have a problem finding people that get along well with the other people they are stuck with. Even though you are not doing stuff with biology, we need two guys that can live together in a tent. The job that Pat had in mind for Dale and Steve was to count salmon returning to Scurvy Creek in Rocky Bay on the outer cost of the Kenai Peninsula a remote campsite a long way from the CIAA office. Pat informed the friends that CIAA would only stock this camp once during the six to seven week project. (See below for a Smolts article from October 1933 that described this project and how the season went for Dale and Steve.) Pat asked us if we wanted to do it. We looked at each other and said sure, and we got up and started for the door. We get to the door and Pat says Uh, boys, do you even want to know what you are getting paid? We said no and we went out the door, Dale recalls. He and Steve were thrilled to be going on this adventure without regard to the pay, which was $75 per day then. They spent that summer counting pink salmon, and happily supplementing their groceries with blueberries, spruce hens, and Dolly Varden. And it was not their last adventure with CIAA, because they both went on to work on other projects. Adventure and hard work seem to be in Dale s blood. Both sets of his grandparents came to Alaska prior to statehood. Russell Bagley moved to Alaska in 1942 to work as a civilian for the military based in Anchorage. His wife, Mildred, joined him after World War II and they moved to the Kenai Peninsula in 1952 where Russell had taken a job with the Alaska Road Commission. Dale s other grandpa, Lee McKinley, came up to Alaska in the early 1940s to be a dentist. His wife, Doris, joined him later and they operated a farm in Palmer. Lee was also known as The Flying Dentist because he was a bush pilot that flew throughout Alaska to provide dental services. Article from Smolts, October, Dale Bagley (in the red life jacket) assists with a lake survey of fish, Chelatna Lake, a cost recovery harvest, while Steve went to work at other CIAA projects. Dale especially enjoyed his time at Packers Lake, working there for five months one season without ever leaving. After a number of years with various jobs ending with shift work on the North Slope, Dale decided to return home to the Kenai Peninsula. I wanted a wife and a life, says Dale. He went into real estate, a profession inspired by his grandmother, Mildred, who had a lot of successful real estate investments on the peninsula. Dale received his real estate licenses in He and his wife, Debbie, opened Redoubt Realty in Community service is important to Dale. He currently volunteers or has volunteered on many boards and organizations including United Way, Soldotna Historical Association, Rotary Club of Soldotna, Alaska Association of Realtors, and Kenai Peninsula Food Bank. Dale served on the Soldotna City Council for five years and is in his eighth year of service on the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly. He also served as the Kenai Peninsula Borough Mayor from 1999 to Dale credits his hard work ethic as one of the reasons why he volunteers. It is good to give back to the community, but I also enjoy being on different boards. It increases my knowledge and informs me of what is going on in my community. Dale first joined the CIAA board in 1996, as a Kenai Peninsula Borough representative, a seat he held through Then Dale rejoined the board in 2013 as an alternate for the borough and moved into the director position in This year, Dale was elected to the Executive Committee as the 1st Vice President. Dale s parents, Nathan and Judith, were both born and raised in Alaska, and they met at the University of Fairbanks (UAF). His parents became teachers and moved to the Kenai Peninsula where Dale was raised. After Dale s first season as a fish counter with CIAA, he entered the Marine Corps and was stationed in Hawaii from 1983 to Upon completion of his service, he returned to Alaska and worked various jobs as well as going to college at UAF and University of Alaska Anchorage. It was during this time that Dale rejoined his friend Steve Wahl in working for CIAA. They worked one year together at Larsen Creek in the Susitna watershed counting salmon smolt, and then moved onto Chelatna Lake to count adult salmon. After that, Dale went to Packers Lake on Kalgin Island for two seasons to count salmon, assist with egg takes, and perform Dale recognizes both the opportunities and challenges facing CIAA currently are based on Tutka Bay Lagoon Hatchery operations. Moving the net pens and pink salmon production is becoming a little more public and that is presenting some challenges for CIAA in terms of education and public relations. Despite these challenges, Dale sees a lot of value in CIAA s future, partly based on his own past experience as an employee out in the wilderness, counting salmon. The four summers I spent with Cook Inlet Aquaculture Association were probably the best four summers in my life something about growing fish, watching to see if the returns are going to be better than the year before. And I really enjoyed the work, I enjoy the whole concept of what Cook Inlet Aquaculture stands for, says Dale. PAGE 2

3 SPRING/SUMMER 2018 Community Perspective Alaska at the frontlines of biological invasions: A call to arms for salmon-dependent stakeholders to unite By Dr. Peter Westley In Alaska there is an entrenched myth we are wise to question that our state is the last stronghold of pristine salmon ecosystems on Earth. Like all myths, this one is grounded in seeds of truth. True, compared to locations like Europe, the east coast of North America, and the Pacific Northwest, salmonbearing habitats of Alaska are far more intact and abundances of salmon generally remain high. True that Alaskans, compared to people from elsewhere, are still generally connected to salmon, and it is true that salmon still drive our economies, cultures, and well-being. But what this myth implies is a sense of permanence; that the salmon strongholds in Alaska are impervious to threats pounding at the door. Clearly Alaska salmon and salmon-dependent people are facing the same challenges encountered repeatedly by other populations of fish and people across the globe: urbanization and increasing human population, a warming global system and associated climatic changes, governance policies that impede access and opportunity, markets that are influenced by consumer preferences on the other side of the world, and the rise of invasive species. In this article I briefly explore Alaska s mounting battle against invasive species that have the potential to fundamentally alter salmon-bearing ecosystems and threaten the sustainability of Alaska s salmon producing systems. UAF Graduate Student Chase Jalbert holds two large northern pike captured in Bulchitna Lake in the summer of Bulchitna Lake is thought to be Lake Zero where northern pike were introduced in the 1950s. Curiously, densities of northern pike in the lake were assessed to be very low and salmonid species were plentiful suggesting that coexistence in this lake seems possible. Photo courtesy of Chase Jalbert and Katja Berghaus. To be clear, we should be judging species on the magnitude of their impacts not on whether we consider them native or non-native. Let s be honest, many non-native species are apparently having little or no appreciable impacts and this fact should thus guide our responses. For example, pigeons have invaded Alaska and are established in our cities but I am hard pressed to identify their impact beyond occasionally requiring an extra trip through the car wash. In contrast, a few species appear to have the capacity of inducing profound impacts on the ecosystems they invade through competition, displacement of native species, hybridization, or direct predation. In Alaska, the notorious poster child of an aquatic invasive species is the northern pike (Esox lucius). Like many invasive species, northern pike represent a paradox as being both a prized species for subsistence and sport harvesters and a target for conservation in their native range, and a pest worthy of eradication where they are introduced. Both anecdotal evidence and emerging forensic genetic results from one of my graduate students Chase Jalbert and collaborators Andres Lopez and Jeff Falke, point to the introduction of northern pike from the Yukon River drainage (likely Minto Flats near Fairbanks) to Bulchitna Lake in the Yentna River basin sometime in the 1950s. The lack of existing genetic variation of populations throughout the Susitna and Matanuska basins strongly suggests one source of introduction and subsequent spread of northern pike through natural dispersal rather than multiple introduction events. Northern pike are now firmly established in hundreds of waterbodies in Southcentral Alaska and have even potentially spread through Cook Inlet to the Tyonek area. This invasion is wide spread, ongoing and expanding, and continuing to have an impact in certain locations. Northern pike are implicated in the crash and near extirpation of salmon in places such as Shell Lake (sockeye) and Alexander Creek (Chinook). Although some might scoff, northern pike have already driven a rare form of threespine stickleback to extinction in Prator Lake near Willow. Sticklebacks are a key member of Alaska fish communities and are thought in some systems to even provide a predator refuge to young salmon by schooling with the more armored sticklebacks. Thus, the loss of sticklebacks and especially a rare locally adapted form shatters the myth of Alaska pristineness. Hot on the heels of northern pike, several aquatic invasive plants are also spreading. Given their dependence on submerged plants for the completion of their life cycle, these new invaders may actually accelerate the on-going northern pike invasion, compounding their impact. Given the scope of the invasion how can we maximize our response? In my opinion the work being done by groups such as Cook Inlet Aquaculture Association in Shell Lake to suppress the northern pike population while maintaining the unique genetic strain of sockeye salmon through conservation hatchery practices is necessary but not sufficient in and of itself. So what can we do? Here are a few specific suggestions: Adopt a battlefield strategy, suppressing and eradicating populations where they are established AND where they are having or likely to cause impact while acknowledging we are working in a triage context where resources are far less than what are required. The strategy should be proactive rather than reactive, targeting our efforts to protect the most vulnerable and not yet invaded sites through extra vigilance and monitoring. Work underway in my lab will help inform those decisions and provide a roadmap for where to focus our efforts. But monitoring is expensive, and let s admit it, not nearly as attractive to fund in competitive granting processes as active eradication or suppression. Citizen science and stakeholder groups are likely to be invaluable to these monitoring efforts and relationships should be forged and maintained. The emergence of technologies such as environmental DNA where the presence of northern pike or other invasive species can be detected by sampling the water and multiplying small strands of their DNA discarded through scales, slime, or feces will help prioritize sites and be used as a first line of detection during the early stages of invasion. Acknowledge that technology is not a silver bullet and accept that the most impactful strategy is to stop illegal introductions and thereby disrupt potential invasions from the start while A native northern pike cruises through the shallows of Long Bay Lake in the Kvichak River system of Bristol Bay. Note the submerged (native) aquatic vegetation. Non-native invading aquatic plants have the potential to accelerate the northern pike invasion. Photo courtesy Jason Ching. also working to prevent the further spread of individuals from established populations. Expect surprises. Rapidly warming water temperatures in Southcentral Alaska are a great unknown, but first principles predict that northern pike consumption of prey will increase with corresponding increases in water temperatures. Set clear objectives for the battlefield strategy. If suppression efforts are called for, there should be clear targets of how many predators need to be removed to have the desired effect. Recent collaborative work between my lab and CIAA has shown that suppression efforts in Shell Lake have led to an estimated 84% reduction in northern pike consumption of salmon since Has this impressive reduction in consumption provided enough buffer from predation to allow salmon recovery? That remains unknown. Statistical and bioenergetics modeling are needed to address these objectives and should be a priority for research. Initiate a societal discussion in Alaska to accept the inherent trade-offs between salmon and northern pike. Although predators and prey can co-exist in some locations, clearly in other places salmon are at risk from northern pike. Admitting that sometimes we can t have it all is a major step in deciding what sort of future we do want. In the end we are all in this together and it is up to us to decide what sort of future we want for Alaska. Dr. Peter Westley grew up in Anchorage along the shores of Campbell Creek, where many of his days were spent exploring and, of course, fishing. After spending over a decade Outside for schooling at the University of Washington and Memorial University of Newfoundland, Peter returned home as an Assistant Professor of Fisheries at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. There, Peter and his students work on the evolutionary ecology and conservation of salmonid fishes in Alaska and beyond, with a focus on local adaptation in the face of climate change and biological invasions, homing and straying of wild and hatchery fish, and collective migratory behavior. He can be reached at pwestley@alaska.edu. Holding Yukon River Chinook salmon in the summer of Photo courtesy Donna Hauser. PAGE 3

4 SPRING/SUMMER 2018 Executive Director s message: CIAA s mission and goals good for the long term In the last issue of Smolts I recognized the commitment of the financial and human resources required for developing a successful hatchery program and the importance of a long-term partner in securing the financial resources needed to bring hatchery programs to full production. The Department of Commerce Community and Economic Development s Fisheries Loan program has been the financial partner that has allowed the Cook Inlet Aquaculture Association (the Association) to improve our hatchery programs and future salmon returns. However, for the salmon enhancement programs to be successful, we also needed a clear direction to follow. The Association s mission and goals have provided the long-term guidance necessary. In 1990 the Association employed 11 regular full-time staff and 30 seasonal employees. We operated two hatcheries Eklutna Salmon Hatchery and Trail Lakes Hatchery six summer field camps, and two flow-control structures. We also surveyed numerous streams for beaver dams blocking fish passage. That same year on October 21, the Board of Directors adopted the Association s first mission and goals statement. The mission and goals statement has been reviewed by the Board of Directors several times since its adoption in 1990, but it has only been changed once in Other than an adjustment to the definition of a significant contribution to the common property fishery, the changes made were to clarify the mission and goals. The Association s mission statement consists of four overarching components. They are: 1. protect self-sustaining salmon stocks and habitats upon which they depend; 2. rehabilitate self-sustaining 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 where appropriate. It is interesting to note that two of the four components focus on protecting and rehabilitating self-sustaining salmon stocks. Although some may question whether or not the Association s hatchery programs threaten self-sustaining salmon stocks, the Board of Directors recognizes the value of natural salmon production. This is evident in the Association s willingness to financially contribute to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game s long-term hatchery/wild salmon interaction study even when the Association was financially struggling. It is also evident in our efforts to assess the health of natural salmon populations through the monitoring of water quality, smolt migrations, and adult returns. Our effort to rehabilitate the sockeye population in Shell Lake attests to the value the Association places on salmon production from natural systems. Another important element of the mission statement to note is its reference to maintaining salmon habitat. The Association s hatchery programs rely on good salmon habitat to complete the early rearing of the fish they produce. And, while the Association s hatchery programs generate considerable attention, our concerns over threats to the habitat supporting natural returns have grown. We readily partner with and support other organizations to assess increasing threats from invasive species like northern pike and the aquatic plant Elodea. Twenty-eight years ago the Board also adopted ten goals that further guide the Association and its program: 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. An average harvest rate of 50% in Gary Fandrei, Executive Director the common property fishery is the acceptable standard for significant contribution. This standard does not apply during project development or to projects designed solely for cost recovery harvest. 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 Area H common property salmon resource. Educate the public about the salmon resource and the mission, goals and projects of the Association. Maintain the highest standards of financial responsibility and accountability for the funds entrusted to it. Maintain facilities, administrative practices and personnel policies which require and encourage its staff to perform in a safe, professional and costeffective manner. Comply with all statutes and regulations governing private nonprofit aquaculture association activities in the State of Alaska. Participate, within the limits for tax-exempt corporations, in the development of legislation and regulation relevant to attainment of the mission. These goals provide further clarity to the overarching mission of the Association. They not only recognize the need to maintain and enhance the area s salmon resource for all users, but they set the professional priorities the Board has identified as pivotal to moving the Association forward. As the Executive Director I encourage our staff to educate themselves and the public on the salmon resource, to follow sound scientific practices, to be fiscally responsible, to comply with the statutes and regulations that govern our programs, and to perform in a safe, professional manner. Twenty-eight years ago the Board of Directors adopted a mission and goals statement that has changed little. The Board had the foresight to value salmon habitat, recognize the need to address unforeseen threats like northern pike and Elodea on future salmon production, and to set priorities that move the Association forward estimated returns See the table to the right for the total return predictions, including portions expected to be needed for broodstock, escapement, and cost recovery harvest. Many of these sites will also have common property harvest opportunities this year. Please note that we do not perform cost recovery on Hidden Lake sockeye salmon, Resurrection Bay coho salmon, or Shell Lake sockeye salmon. The Shell Lake return is in support of a rehabilitation project there (see page 6). Species Return site Stock 2018 Total Return Predictions Estimated total return Estimated broodstock/ escapement Estimated cost recovery Percentage harvested in cost recovery Estimated common property Sockeye Resurrection Bay Bear Lake 199,700 12, ,500 67% 52,450 Sockeye Tutka Bay Lagoon English Bay Lakes 79,250 6,330 31,600 40% 41,320 Sockeye ChinaPoot/Hazel English Bay Lakes 39,480 1,000 18,200 46% 20,280 Sockeye Kirschner Lake English Bay Lakes 44,600 1,500 43,100 97% 0 Sockeye Hidden Lake Hidden Lake 32,840 13, % 19,840 Sockeye Shell Lake Shell Lake Unknown Up to % Unknown Coho Resurrection Bay Bear Lake 10, % 9,640 Pink Tutka Bay Lagoon Tutka Creek 1,751, ,700 1,539,950 88% 33,850 Pink Port Graham Bay Port Graham River 181, ,000 61,000 34% 12,800 PAGE 4 The 2018 Resurrection Bay sockeye salmon return so far has been strong. Davis Staley got out in early June to catch some of these fish! Photo courtesy of Davis Staley.

5 SPRING/SUMMER 2018 Move of Tutka Bay net pens runs into challenges As reported in the last issue of Smolts, CIAA went forward with its plan to move a portion of its net pens out of Tutka Bay Lagoon and into the head of Tutka Bay this spring for temporary rearing and release of pink salmon fry. The reason behind the move was to make it easier to harvest the returning adults. Once the adults return to the lagoon, harvest becomes difficult due to the tides that limit access to the lagoon by boats. The result is stress to the fish and loss of quality, which is detrimental to hatchery broodstock as well as the common property harvest. The plan was to move up to 16 million pink salmon fry out of the lagoon; but CIAA had moved two pens on April 26, with only 2 million fry placed in the net pens on May 1, when it ran into permitting confusion and forces of nature. The permitting confusion came to light when it was discovered that CIAA had placed the two net pens in a location not specified on the permit issued by the Alaska Department of Natural Resources (ADNR). CIAA staff and a contractor placed the pens where they thought they were supposed to be, in front of a waterfall located at the head of the bay, which was the preferred location as indicated by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) in the permit-planning process. This decision was also made because of a typographical error in the latitude and longitude coordinates in the ADNR permit. The CIAA crew did not understand the coordinates and put the pens where they thought they were supposed to be. Once Education and outreach On the job training at Trail Lakes Hatchery By Kristin Bates, Trail Lakes Hatchery Manager Trail Lakes Hatchery had a unique opportunity this spring to take place in an On the Job Training (OJT) program that Seward High School seniors are required to complete prior to graduation. This training is meant to give young adults exposure to normal work day trials and triumphs and the chance to work alongside industry professionals. Senior high school students can choose the business they wish to work for and in return they receive one-half of a class credit. This credit is an elective in their schedule and it is up to the student to finish the hours independently. In February and March, Trail Lakes Hatchery had the pleasure of working with Blaze Havnin, 17-years-old. Blaze needed to work 60 OJT hours to graduate. He had previously completed other OJT hours with the Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward and was interested in working near his home in Moose Pass. The hours were worked after a normal school day, on weekends, and in between his normal classes. Not only did Blaze need to arrive at Trail Lakes Hatchery on time, but he needed to record work details, report hours worked, and professionally communicate his program with hatchery staff and the high school. This experience gave both hatchery staff and a young Alaskan the time to communicate about aquaculture and what common skills a person may need to be successful in any job. The fish culture professionals also enjoyed working with such a fun, outgoing, high school senior. Blaze helped clean raceways of sockeye and coho salmon, weighed out and distributed feed, performed routine weekly duties, worked on our incubators, and learned how to clip adipose fins on sockeye smolt destined for Shell Lake. Sometimes the work was completed hand in hand with hatchery staff, and other times the work was more independent. Blaze also helped with data entry, spreadsheet development, and video recording and editing. He was also happy to spend a day digging out the facility when we received over three feet of snow in one day! ADNR received complaints about the location where CIAA placed the pens, ADNR first determined the pens were in the correct location and CIAA was preparing to amend its permits to reflect this. However, by May 8, ADNR had decided that CIAA needed to move the net pens farther up the bay to the location intended in the ADNR permit. As soon as CIAA received notice that the net pens were to be moved, they were preparing for the move when strong winds churned up Tutka Bay on May 10, causing the net pens to drag anchor and drift partially up the bay. Ninilchik Charters informed CIAA of the wayward pens and CIAA mobilized quickly to retrieve and secure them near the mouth of Tutka Bay Lagoon. By Monday, May 14, CIAA, with a favorable tide, had moved the pens back into Tutka Bay Lagoon. Neither the pens nor the fish were harmed by their unplanned journey. The moving of the net pens has faced resistance by some members of the public who are concerned that this operation is disruptive to other Kachemak Bay State Park users. The CIAA Board of Directors is reviewing this operation and listening to the concerns expressed by the public. It is the intention of CIAA to continue to operate in a way that supports its mission of providing and protecting the salmon resource of Cook Inlet, while working cooperatively with others. When we asked Blaze what he enjoyed about the work performed at Trail Lakes Hatchery he responded I like that I get to use common sense to complete tasks. His normal summer jobs have been working in Seward s retail shops interacting with customers, and in the kitchens at local restaurants. Blaze grew up around the hatchery and was exposed to our work environment at a young age. His calm personality, attention to detail, ability to understand simple direction, and dedication to a job well done made him wonderful to work with. Blaze said that Cook Inlet Aquaculture Association provides more fish for the rivers and lakes of Alaska and he believes this is important. After high school Blaze wants to become a chef. He is going to pursue higher education through the Alaska Vocational Technical Center in Seward. We wished him the absolute best as he walked across the stage in May to accept his high school diploma! These types of OJT programs are essential for young adults and we are definitely going to collaborate with high schools in the area to continue having students train with us in our normal, crazy, wet, slippery field of work! Aquaculture rules! Blaze Havnin learns to clip adipose fins, Trail Lakes Hatchery, Congratulations! We would like to congratulate the Aurora Borealis Charter School Robotics Team on their 2nd place win for mechanical design at the International Robotics Competition in California in May! As previously reported, this team did their research portion of this competition on aquaponics and studied the Trail Lakes Hatchery in coming up with their research design to grow lettuce using the fish waste. Great job team! PAGE 5

6 PAGE 6 SPRING/SUMMER 2018 Invasive species continued from page 1 Northern pike projects in the Susitna watershed Since the early 1980s, CIAA has been monitoring juvenile and adult salmon throughout the Susitna watershed. We began to notice changes in lakes with northern pike and CIAA started working to quantify those changes. From 2006 to 2009, CIAA conducted an enumeration of both juvenile and adult salmon migrations on seven lakes Chelatna, Hewitt, Judd, Larson, Stephan, Swan, and Byers in the Susitna River system. Water quality data were also collected to better understand the entire salmon life cycle by isolating variables in the lake that could limit productivity. This work was funded by CIAA with additional financial support from grants. The second phase of this project, which started in July 2009, was designed to assess the same information, but provide a comparison between lakes that had invasive northern pike present versus those that did not. This work, which ended in 2013, was performed in cooperation with ADF&G and funded by CIAA and a grant. The results related to northern pike investigations included: Those lakes that were not known to have northern pike still had good salmon populations, while those lakes with northern pike had shown a decline in salmon populations. In shallow lakes, the number of juvenile salmon produced per spawner was significantly lower in lakes with northern pike versus lakes without northern pike. The number of salmon consumed by northern pike was related to salmon abundance with the highest numbers consumed at Chelatna followed by Whiskey and Shell lakes. With these results in hand, CIAA began to focus more attention on Shell, Chelatna, Whiskey, and Hewitt lakes. Shell Lake once supported a large salmon population that is nearly gone, due to a combination of factors. In 2006, almost 70,000 sockeye salmon were counted returning to Shell Lake, but that number dove to just three fish in It was determined that invasive northern pike, a disease caused by the microsporidian Loma Salmonidae, and other parasites were all having a negative effect on the Shell Lake sockeye salmon population. In 2012, CIAA began to invest heavily in a rehabilitation program to try to save this population, which includes the use of Trail Lakes Hatchery to incubate native eggs and grow the fish to the smolt stage for return back to the lake in order to save the native population. We have invested in intensive northern pike harvesting to control the population. The project is also aimed at learning how to prevent the same issues from happening to other sockeye-salmon producing lakes in the Cook Inlet region. Funding has been provided through a number of grants as well as from CIAA. At Chelatna, Whiskey, and Hewitt lakes, CIAA was awarded a grant to engage in intensive northern pike removal, as well as to study the movement and prey/ habitat preferences of northern pike. An electric fish barrier called Neptun was also evaluated as a potential management tool for controlling northern pike. The study ran from 2012 through Beginning in 2015, crews went out to Whiskey, Hewitt ( ), and Chelatna ( ) lakes to suppress northern pike for short periods before the adult salmon returned. Starting this field season, CIAA is collaborating with ADF&G on a three-year project to intensively harvest northern pike throughout the open water season at Whiskey and Hewitt lakes. In the fall of each year of the project, ADF&G will provide an estimate of juvenile salmon rearing in Hewitt Lake. Other northern pike projects In the Kenai Peninsula Borough, CIAA has collaborated with partners to investigate northern pike in the Tyonek area as well as help eradicate pike from the Soldotna Creek drainage. In the Tyonek area, CIAA has been working with the Tyonek Tribal Conservation District, the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and the U.S. Geological Survey to survey lakes and systems for pike using traditional methods such as gillnetting and more innovative methods such as the use of environmental DNA (see page 3). This year CIAA will provide staff time for a mark-recapture study in the Threemile Creek system to help determine the extent of the pike invasion there and gauge the effectiveness of future suppression efforts in the watershed. Northern pike dissections, Palmer. In the Soldotna Creek drainage, CIAA assisted ADF&G with a rotenone treatment to complete eradication of northern pike from this system. ADF&G has been successful with northern pike eradications efforts on the Kenai Peninsula with only one system remaining that still has northern pike the Tote Road lakes near Kasilof. In addition to the on-the-ground work by CIAA, time and funds have been invested in education. For example, CIAA biologists led northern pike dissections at a Palmer school and used this opportunity to inform the school kids about the threats posed by northern pike in their area and what they could do about it. So what does all this northern pike work by CIAA mean? It means that CIAA has learned a lot about northern pike growth rates, consumption of salmon, and the effect intensive harvest has on the populations of pike and salmon. Considering that consumption of juvenile salmon by invasive northern pike can lead to collapsing salmon stocks, every invasive northern pike harvested is a step to conserve salmon. Funds spent on invasive pike work have contributed to the understanding of habitat overlap between salmon and pike, prey preference, movement, and strategies to control invasive pike all important aspects to developing targeted and cost-effective strategies to save salmon populations from invasive pike. Elodea background Elodea is a common aquarium plant, and is not native to Alaska. It is a serious threat to freshwater resources and fish habitat statewide. Elodea has leaves that are arranged in whorls of 3 (occasionally 4) with a stem lighter green than leaves, and stems that grow in a tangled mass. Left unchecked, and given the right conditions, Elodea spreads easily. Small pieces containing a few whorls of leaves break apart forming hundreds of new plants and it can survive frozen in ice. The impacts to lakes and rivers in Alaska from this invasive plant include the degradation of fish habitat and displacement of native flora and fauna. When Elodea spreads in a water body, boat travel can become difficult, flow rates can be reduced, and it can also endanger safe float plane operation. Elodea projects and partnerships Beginning in 2013, when Elodea was discovered in three northern Kenai Peninsula Lakes Stormy, Daniels, and Beck we mobilized our resources to assist in the eradication effort led by the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, the Kenai Peninsula Cooperative Weed Management Area, and the Alaska Department of Natural Resources (ADNR). Herbicide treatments were applied to the lakes and CIAA placed booms at the outlets of Daniels and Beck lakes to stop any Elodea fragments from leaving the lakes after treatment while still allowing for fish passage. We also agreed to help in the water quality monitoring of the lakes prior to and after herbicide treatment by taking zooplankton samples at Daniels and Beck lakes, and taking samples at two lakes not treated with herbicides, Island and Douglas. More Beck lakes complex barrier sign, recently this effort continued when Elodea was discovered at a small lake complex near Beck Lake. We provided assistance by setting up barriers again. In 2014 and 2015, with grant funding, CIAA surveyed 11 lakes in the Susitna watershed for the presence of Elodea. The lakes that were chosen for the survey were either in residential areas or areas with high boat and/or plane traffic. Fortunately Elodea was not found in the lakes. Another goal of this project was to provide education on Elodea to float plane and boat operators through direct communications. We also contributed funds to a survey of float plane operators that resulted in a vector analysis of the float plane pathway that can be used to better understand the potential dispersal of Elodea. And when Elodea was found in Alexander Lake, CIAA provided funding to purchase herbicide for ADNR-led treatments. As was the case with our northern pike projects, the funds and resources invested in Elodea monitoring and eradication by CIAA came from either grants or the Salmon Enhancement Tax. So, we thank the member of the public that asked What are you doing about invasive northern pike? because it caused us to pause and reflect on all the invasive species work we have invested in for the express purpose of protecing salmon habitat and native salmon populations. It is a significant amount of work that has been or continues to be supported by our funding partners such as the Alaska Sustainable Salmon Fund, the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, and the Mat-Su Basin Salmon Habitat Partnership, as well as the commercial salmon fishermen of Area H.

7 SPRING/SUMMER releases Spring time for the hatchery staff means a lot of movement movement of fry and smolt out of the hatcheries to their various release sites. Some fish are transferred to a release site, where they are held for a short amount of time for imprinting before being released, such as the Bear Lake sockeye smolt held in net pens before being released to Resurrection Bay. Other fish are moved straight from the hatchery and are released, such as the Hidden Lake sockeye fry to Hidden Lake. This can be a stressful but extremely rewarding time for staff as they watch the fish they have so carefully tended for the previous one or two years be released to begin their ocean journeys! This spring CIAA began the annual salmon transfers and all releases should be finished in June. Transfers and releases so far have gone fairly well for CIAA, with the exception of having to move the Tutka Bay net pens back into the lagoon (see page 5). But even that was just a minor setback in the overall effort to move fish to their intended release sites. The 2018 releases also includes a small pink salmon stocking at Paint Lakes in support of the Paint River Fish Ladder program. We have elected to discontinue this stocking after this year because the stocking does not appear to be necessary anymore to jump start that system. Many species of salmon, including pink salmon, were observed using the Paint River Fish Ladder in Below are the estimated 2018 releases by each of our three operating hatcheries: Tutka Bay Lagoon, Trail Lakes, and Port Graham Estimated Releases Hatchery Brood year/stock/species Number Release location Tutka Bay Lagoon BY17 Tutka Pink Fry 55,000,000 Tutka Bay Lagoon Trail Lakes BY16 Bear Lake Sockeye Smolt 1,420,000 Resurrection Bay BY16 Tutka EBL Sockeye Smolt 572,000 Tutka Bay Lagoon BY16 Bear Lake Coho Smolt 74,000 Bear Creek BY16 Bear Lake Coho Smolt 25,000 Seward Lagoon BY17 Bear Lake Sockeye Fry 2,577,000 Bear Lake BY17 Tutka EBL Sockeye Fry 880,000 Hazel Lake BY17 Tutka EBL Sockeye Fry 1,897,700 Leisure Lake BY17 Tutka EBL Sockeye Fry 257,500 Kirschner Lake BY17 Bear Lake Coho Fry 447,100 Bear Lake BY17 Hidden Lake Sockeye Fry 1,271,000 Hidden Lake BY16 Shell Lake Sockeye Smolt 45,780 Shell Lake Port Graham BY17 Port Graham Pink Fry 23,847,000 Port Graham Bay BY17 Bruin Bay Pink Fry 340,000 Paint Lakes EBL=English Bay Lakes Board of Directors update Board election Last fall, CIAA began an election process to fill three of the five at-large Board of Director seats. These seats are reserved for Cook Inlet Area H salmon permit holders and are commonly referred to as the Inlet Wide Commercial Fishermen Representatives. The terms of these three seats held by Christine Brandt, John McCombs, and Carl Hatten expired at the February 2018 annual meeting. Although nominating petitions were sent out to all permit holders no nominating petitions were received. At the annual meeting, the board chose to fill two of the vacant seats with Eric Winslow and Robert Roth, both Lower Cook Inlet seiners. The third seat was left vacant. And Brian Bohman left the Matanuska-Susitna Borough seat last fall and this seat remains vacant. We welcome the new board members and thank Christine, John, Carl, and Brian for their many years of service to CIAA! Next board meeting The next board meeting will be held September 22, 2018 at 10:00 a.m. at the Kenai CIAA Headquarters Building. The meeting agenda can be found at closer to the meeting date. Officer election At the 41st Annual Board of Directors meeting in February, members for the Executive Committee were elected and other committee assignments were made. The Executive Committee members are: Brent Johnson, President Dale Bagley, 1st Vice President Beaver Nelson, 2nd Vice President Dave Martin, Treasurer Jessie Nelson, Secretary Nate Berga, Elected Member Mark Roth, Elected Member The many members of the CIAA board of directors work hard to support the mission of providing and protecting your salmon resource. Members not only prepare for and participate in board meetings, but many donate extra time and resources for various meetings, projects, and operations. Each contribution of time, expertise, and/or resources is appreciated! Staff highlights Staff get ready to release sockeye smolt at Resurrection Bay, Photo courtesy of Dale Bagley. Over the last few months, we have added some new members to our team. At Port Graham Hatchery, Mike McWaters was hired to be the Hatchery Manager in January. Mike s 11 years of hatchery experience in Washington state and Southeast Alaska as well as his familiarity with remote locations and large production facilities will be an asset to the management of Port Graham Hatchery. Mike has added an Assistant Manager, Jason Allen, and a Fish Culturist, Eric McMinis, to help with the operations. Jason also worked in Southeast Alaska hatchery operations and Eric is a graduate of the Marine Technology Program at Cape Fear Community College. Trail Lakes Hatchery is fully staffed with the addition of three new members: Eric Fotter, Graham Briley, and Seth Wells. Eric accepted a Fish Culturist position, coming to us with three summers working at the Gulkana Hatchery. Graham joined as a Temporary Fish Culturist and he has a degree in fishery resources from the University of Idaho. Seth has the position of Project Technician, bringing valuable maintenance and problem solving skills to the hatchery. At Tutka Bay Lagoon Hatchery, Ken Crull joined as the Assistant Manager in February. Ken brings maintenance skills to the hatchery and he, along with his wife Julie are familiar with living in remote Alaska. Julie recently accepted a Temporary Project Technician position to assist with some of the administrative duties at the hatchery. While CIAA continues to search for a Hatchery Manager at this hatchery, Fish Culturist Aaron Breidert is the Acting Assistant Manager and Ken Crull is the Acting Hatchery Manager. We would like to welcome all these regular staff members to the CIAA team, along with the many seasonal assistants we employ during our busy field season. Some of the CIAA seasonal staff in Kenai, We have a number of positions we are seeking to fill including a Hatchery Manager at Tutka Bay Lagoon and an Executive Director. Visit for more details on our employment opportunities. PAGE 7

8 SPRING/SUMMER 2018 Board of Directors Matanuska-Susitna Borough Vacant Municipality of Anchorage Sean Palmer Kenai Peninsula Borough Dale Bagley, 1st Vice President City of Seward Jess Sweatt Inlet Wide Commercial Fishermen Representative Robert Correia Paul Roth Robert Roth Eric Winslow Vacant City of Kachemak Emil Beaver Nelson, 2nd Vice President North Pacific Fisheries Association Jessie Nelson, Secretary John Gucer Kenai Peninsula Fisherman s Association Brent Johnson, President Joseph Person Northern District Setnetters of Cook Inlet Page Herring Gary Swan City of Homer Mark Roth United Cook Inlet Drift Association Bob Merchant Dyer VanDevere Port Graham/Nanwalek Representative Vacant Processor Representative Nate Berga Martin Jacques 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 Providing and protecting your salmon resource Staff and Locations Headquarters Gary Fandrei, Executive Director Cathy Cline, Project Technician Jared Grangroth, Temporary Project Technician Dorey Harman, Accounting Specialist/Office Assistant Emily Heale, Temporary Project Technician Rodney Hobby, Biologist Lisa Ka aihue, Special Projects Manager Andy Wizik, Biologist Vacant, Hatchery Operations Manager Vacant, Project Technician Kalifornsky Beach Road, Kenai, Alaska Port Graham Hatchery Mike McWaters, Hatchery Manager Jason Allen, Assistant Hatchery Manager Eric McMinis, Fish Culturist P.O. Box 5547, Port Graham, Alaska Trail Lakes Hatchery Kristin Bates, Hatchery Manager Graham Briley, Temporary Fish Culturist Eric Fotter, Fish Culturist Jennifer Mevissen, Assistant Hatchery Manager Seth Wells, Project Technician P.O. Box 29, Moose Pass, Alaska Tutka Bay Lagoon Hatchery Vacant, Hatchery Manager Aaron Breidert, Fish Culturist Julie Crull, Temporary Project Technician Ken Crull, Assistant Hatchery Manager P.O. Box 3389, Homer, Alaska 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 Except where credited to others, articles are written by Lisa Ka aihue. 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.