Making more salmon

Southeast regional planning teams are scheduled to meet April 8 in Juneau to review, among other things, some interesting hatchery proposals.

Hatcheries, of course, are very important in Alaska. The state's annual salmon harvest wouldn't be nearly so large or lucrative without them.

For some years now, processors have lobbied for increased hatchery production to satisfy market demand for Alaska salmon.

One proposal on the April 8 agenda comes from the Sitka-based Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association, which is seeking a capacity increase of 50 million chum salmon eggs.

Fry would be set to sea from a new remote release site in Crawfish Inlet. NSRAA projects an average return of 1.1 million chums worth about $6.5 million annually.

Another hatchery operator, Juneau-based Armstrong-Keta Inc., has submitted a plan to increase pink salmon production.