Economic Impact of Alaska Salmon Hatcheries

Printed: 2024

Prepared For: Alaska Hatchery Associations

Prepared By: McKinley Research Group

The Southern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association (SSRAA) is a non-profit corporation headquartered in Ketchikan, Alaska working to enhance the salmon stocks in Southern Southeast Alaska (SSE). This study estimates and describes SSRAA’s economic impacts on SSE’s commercial fishing, seafood processing, and sportfishing industries. Unless stated otherwise, numbers presented reflect 2018 to 2023 averages. SSRAA operates seven hatcheries and seven additional release sites throughout SSE, producing and releasing around 170 million salmon smolts annually. SSRAA’s operations are primarily funded through cost recovery harvests and a three percent ex-vessel tax on landed salmon in SSE. Between sport harvests, commercial fisheries, and cost recovery activities, about 3.2 million SSRAA salmon are harvested annually.