Thursday, October 25, 2007
Assembly supports SJ Hatchery (In word)
At its October 24th meeting, the City Assembly approved a resolution in support of the SJ Hatchery's continuation. Raven Radio has the story here, and the Sentinel also covered the news. Keith Cox and Dan Goodness were strong advocates for the program, which lost financial support from a USDA grant when SJ closed. While the grant is being appealed, the Hatchery's future is in jeopardy. The city called on groups, individuals, and agencies to do what they can to help.
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10 comments:
If SJC thinks they can raise an absorbent amount of money through a fish "processing learning center" they will find themselves in deep water with the State of Alaska, commercial entry commission, local processors and fisherman. Hopefully they will proceed with caution..
The Hatchery staff and management isn't looking to raise an exorbitant (which i think is the word "anonymous" really meant to use) amount of money from fish processing, it simply wants to be able to better use its surplus fish, and in the process create a new educational opportunity, and create enough revenue to stabilize itself financially, so that it can reduce its reliance on "soft money" grants.
James, Well put! If you are the James I think you are thanks for hanging in there.
James your response leads me to believe you really don't understand implications of selling surplus fish? What constitutes surplus fish? A million return, a million sold. Two million return two million sold. Isn't it really just another type of a gear group competing for the same market share most commercial fisherman use? If the hatchery can't survive off soft money and tuition isn't that proof enough that they are irrelevant?
Almost all hatcheries here in Southeast do some cost recovery fishing to help pay to keep the hatchery open. Why shouldn’t SJ? After all those same fish help everyone who fishes from the commercial guys, to charter fishing to sport fishing. Just because a million fish are released that doesn’t mean that a million return.
yes Marcel, it is the James you think it is, and the term "hanging in there" probably has more relevance than you know.
As for the mysterious Mr.
Anonymous, I have a better grasp of surplus than you think...
SO, a lesson in how PNP hatcheries function through Cost Recovery.
Fish and Game monitors and manages commercial harvest in the common property fisheries, like Sitka Sound, They operate "intercept" fisheries that allow fisherman to catch the majority of the adult returns, but allow for "escapement" of enough adults to supply nearby rivers and hatcheries with Broodstock for next years batch of juvenile fish. In addition, they allow extra "escapement" into a Hatcheries Special Harvest Area. These "Surplus fish" essentially become the property of the hatchery, they can harvest them in a variety of ways, sell them whole(if they can find a buyer) or strip roe (with the appropriate permits) to sell to the caviar market.
Most hatcheries contract Seiners to facilitate these "Cost Recovery" efforts, as they are known, splitting the revenue with the seiner, and this income is a substantial source of funding for all Private Non Profit Hatcheries. SJ contracted out the services of the F/V Artemus this year to help our Cost Recovery efforts, but the timing of our run conflicted with the Common Property Seine openings (which is the highest priority for a commercial seiner), so a large number of Pinks (somewhere around 10-20k) came up our fish ladder instead of being caught by the Artemus in our Special Harvest Area. We were able to sell many of these fish to a local processor, but we realized that there exists a HUGE educational opportunity for being able to train people on how to process fish right on our site, by using those "surplus" Adults, and that this could help bring financial stability to the Hatchery
SO, how many surplus fish would we be looking at?? Well, that is determined by several factors, largely At Sea Survivals, and Fish and Games management of Escapement, but if you check out the numbers that most hatcheries use for estimating Adult returns to the Hatchery, you find that around 2-4 percent of Pinks and Chum will survive and return, and 6 to 12 percent of Chinook and Coho.
SJ is permitted for the spawning and rearing of 1 million Pink eggs, 1 million Chum eggs, 150,000 Coho eggs, and 100,000 Kings eggs.
So ideal annual returns by species would be around 40,000 Pinks, 40,000 Chum, 12,000 Coho and 8,000 Kings. Assuming moderate At-Sea survivals, and adequate escapement into the Special Harvest Area. SJ would use a tiny portion of those fish for spawning, the rest are surplus.
The Hatchery has done well on its limited finances, and has made a huge turn around in releases and returns in the last 5 years, and has continued to run effectively during the recent turmoil of the college.
Its common knowledge that the entity known as Sheldon Jackson College has had its share of mismanagements, but please don't judge the entire basket on a few bad eggs. All we want is to continue doing a job that we love and care about, and to be able to have equipment that isn't held together by duct tape and hose clamps, to be more fully staffed and paid more competitively with what people in our profession expect to make, and to continue the legacy of being the third oldest Private Non Profit Hatchery in the State of Alaska, focusing on Research and Education, all the while promoting the Common Property Salmon Fishery in Sitka Sound.
James I salute you and Dan. You are more of an asset to the community than some realize. Again thanks! And I bet it has been challenge!!!!
Thank you, James, I don't believe I could have said it any better or more completely. And thank you, Marcel, for recognizing truth as it is revealed. How many of you folks catch king and coho salmon, and take it home to feed your family, or sell it, to support your income? The SJC Hatchery has contributed fish to the sport and commercial fleet for over 30 years. Fishermen don't pay anything like a landing tax for the SJC fish they catch. The SJC Hatchery is a private-non-profit entity, and without cost recovery monies, they cannot be self- sustaining.
James just as I figured..... you don't understand the implications of selling excess fish, this in terms of market share and competition... Please stick to the question. Lets throw the political twist into it also.
And further more SJC is derlick in their duty by allowing an over escapement of pink salmon up Indian River year, after year. SJ does not have the financial means to play with the other PNP's in southeast Alaska. Lets talk about a weir up Indian River, ever put any thought into the cost and operations of such a weir? It solely would be your responsibility. There is a reason the state (an we all) has turned a blind eye to this, it was in the name of education. Do you realize the cost of doing business when you change the original intent of this hatchery? How about a processing facility, no matter how small will cost plenty. You will have to follow all the same laws as anyone else and that cost money, money, money..
I also didn't realize taking and selling fish at the rack was legal? Doesn't make it any different than a lets say....... a fish farm? I understand taking of eggs for sale at the rack is also illegal? I stand to be corrected, will be waiting your reply.
Oh BTW you must figure at least a 50% interception rate for the return (not to mention straying), this dumbing down your numbers.
My comments are by no means meant to question your commitment to the hatchery or SJC.
Good Luck
James said:
"but we realized that there exists a HUGE educational opportunity for being able to train people on how to process fish right on our site,"
yuk yuk
ANYONE HOME? Waiting your reply....
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