Alaska's State-Managed Hatcheries: Supporting and sustaining sport fishing in Southcentral and the Interior.

AuthorAnderson, Tasha
PositionSPECIAL SECTION Resource Development

Of the twenty-eight hatcheries operating in Alaska, two are operated by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game: the Ruth Burnett Sport Fish Hatchery in Fairbanks and the William Jack Hernandez Sport Fish Hatchery in Anchorage.

In Anchorage, the William Jack Hernandez Sport Fish Hatchery opened in June of 2011. The hatchery uses a fully enclosed, recirculating aquaculture system for the production of Chinook and coho salmon, rainbow trout, and Arctic char. The William Jack Hernandez Sport Fish Hatchery is approximately 600 feet by 200 feet and has almost 3 acres of covered office, shop, and rearing space. It has more than 100 rearing tanks providing space for the production of more than 6 million sport fish each year, which are released throughout Southcentral Alaska. According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, "Sport fishing activity supported through these fish releases accounts for over $20 million a year in economic impact on local communities."

The fish reared at the hatchery are commonly pumped from one tank to another to avoid putting undo stress on the fish or risking injury to hatchery staff. At approximately the same time that Alaska's tourism season is in full swing (mid-May to early October), tanker trucks are loaded with fish that are transported to release sites throughout Southcentral Alaska. Called "stocking runs," this process can take more than twenty-four hours to complete.

The Ruth Burnett Sport Fish Hatchery in Fairbanks utilizes recirculating systems to raise rainbow trout, coho and Chinook salmon, and Arctic char. The Arctic char and rainbow trout are captive broodstock, meaning that they are not harvested from the wild. Fish from this hatchery provide or supplement fishing opportunities in 137 landlocked lakes within the Fairbanks, Nenana, Delta, and Glennallen areas. The different species are brought into the hatchery and released into the wild at different times throughout the year, as appropriate for each fish. For example, Arctic char eggs are taken in November...

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