In a recent column, highly regarded Alaskan scientist Ned Rozell writes
Pink salmon born in hatcheries, where professionals harvest eggs from wild salmon and rear them in captivity before releasing them in the ocean, have doubled in numbers since 1990.
Pinks are different from kings, chums and other salmon species. They remain small until the last few months before they spawn, when they eat like crazy and their body mass increases by 500 percent.
In that time of pinks’ greatest growth — from about March to July in the spawning year — they may be eating so many shrimp, fish, squid and krill that they are not leaving enough for other species. Their ferocity and eating efficiency could even be affecting birds half a world away, off the coast of Australia and New Zealand.
The full article, which is much more in-depth regarding overproduction of pinks impacting the mortality of birds, Alaskan and worldwide, can be read here – https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/science/2018/06/15/pink-salmon-too-much-of-a-good-thing/
The Alaska Board of Fish is convening an emergency meeting scheduled for July 17, 2018 in Anchorage to hear more about overproduction of hatchery pinks and the impact on natural salmon runs throughout the state, and the unexpected consequences on other species as well. Many groups and scientists in the state are finally standing up against the practice of overproduction by hatcheries, starting with Prince William Sound Aquaculture.
We intend to weigh in with comments, due by July 9th, supporting the restriction of unlimited, unjustified, uncontrolled increases in a healthy salmon stock by an another overreaching aquaculture association.
Many people don’t remember the history of hatcheries in Alaska, but we do. They were created to replenish over-harvest stocks. Today, after many changes of hands, that mission has turned into “let’s make more fish, and more fish, and millions more fish!”
It’s a shame that the greediness has been allowed to go on for so long that it’s now deeply and adversely impacting other species, including birds.
