July 14, 2020 — Returns on chum salmon are so low this year Douglas Island Pink and Chum Inc. is working with the State of Alaska on permits to move fish from Amalga Harbor to its hatchery on the Gastineau Channel in Juneau.
“This is the worst return we’ve seen in since 2005,” said Katie Harms, DIPAC’s executive director. “This one is extremely poor and unprecedented and a scary return for everyone right now.”
DIPAC is concerned they won’t get enough fish for their broodstock, or the fish they keep at the hatchery to produce more fish. If that happens the hatchery will have to release fewer fish next year in order to its stock, Harms said, which means smaller returns. Fishing groups worked with the state to make changes to certain fisheries boundaries to allow more fish to return upstream, according to Harms, but even with that change, she’s concerned the hatchery will be about 100,000 fish short.