The Alaska Hatchery Research Program (AHRP): A Study on the Interactions Between Hatchery and Wild Pink Salmon and Chum Salmon in Prince William Sound and Southeast Alaska

Private non-profit hatcheries in Alaska release salmon that account for a third of the harvest. The vast majority of these hatchery releases is of Pink Salmon in Prince William Sound and Chum Salmon in Southeast Alaska. Previous research on fitness consequences of hatchery fish on wild productivity is not sufficient to assess consequences of these releases because most work has been conducted outside Alaska where the magnitude of releases, habitat quality, and species cultured differ greatly. Given the commercial value of hatchery production, the mandate that hatchery releases be compatible with sustainable productivity of wild stocks, and the uncertainties regarding impacts on wild stocks, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game organized a science panel of experts to design a long-term research project (Alaska Hatchery Research Program; AHRP) to address this issue. The AHRP will address three priority issues:

1. What is the genetic stock structure of Pink Salmon and Chum Salmon in each region?
2. What is the extent and annual variability in straying of hatchery-origin Pink Salmon and Chum Salmon in each region?
3. What is the impact on fitness (productivity) of wild Pink Salmon and Chum Salmon stocks due to straying of hatchery-origin salmon in each region?