ALASKA SALMON ENHANCEMENT RESEARCH INITIATIVE

1. ALASKA SALMON ENHANCEMENT RESEARCH INITIATIVE By Raymond RaLonde Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program January 13, 2009

2. WHY A RESEARCH INITIATIVE? • Expressed need by hatchery and association managers. • Address diversity of problems confronting enhancement programs • Develop cost effective enhancement operations • Improve inter-regional coordination in a post FRED era • Need a larger voice and collective strategy to increase the prospects for research

3. ENHANCEMENT AS AGRICULTURE • Common property contribution is not agriculture • Cost recovery harvest was defined as agriculture in 2002, eligible for USDA funding. Why? • Hatchery produces fish • Fish return to the hatchery • Hatchery harvest goes to hatchery costs • Thus agriculture • Now under investigation for removal from agriculture • In appeal for its continuation

4. AN EXAMPLE • Cost recovery harvest value • 75% of all livestock production • 40% of the entire AG. Production • 6.4 times more income that dairy • Nearly equal to entire crop production

5. USDA SPENDING ON AGRICULTURE IN ALASKA • Funding for Alaska Agriculture and Forestry Experiment Station • Federal 2006 - $4.425 million • State match 2006 $4.430 million • USDA funding for commercial salmon fishery • Salmon aquaculture receives no direct federal funding for research

6. THE ISSUE • Salmon enhancement contributes substantially to Alaska’s economy • Commercial fisheries • Sport fisheries • Agriculture production • Industry perspective is the contribution is under-recognized • Specifically in regards to research funding • A united research program across regions will help solve • USDA research has deep pockets • $2.3 billion in 2008 USDA compared to $3.6 million from NOAA research

7. SUCCESS OF A UNITED EFFORT • Pacific Shellfish Institute • 1998 diverse and uncoordinated association of research efforts • Pacific Coast Shellfish Growers Association developed a plan • Since adopted the PSI has received over $2 million in grants • PSI recognized as a go to organization

8. A SUCCESS CLOSE TO HOME Research needs for Alaska Mariculture Alaskan Shellfish Growers Association University of Alaska Marine Advisory Program May 17, 1999 • Alaska Science and Technology Foundation • 1999 board meeting • ~$1.4 million in shellfish aquaculture research considered • Industry priorities in draft form • The phone call • All project fully funded

9. MORE RECENT EXAMPLE • Revised and updated document 2002 • Foundational for priorities for application to fisheries revitalization funding Shellfish Mariculture for Alaska Developing the Industry Raymond RaLonde Aquaculture Specialist Marine Advisory Program School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences University of Alaska Fairbanks Revised 2002

10. INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDING Note: With match total funding is $1,225,272

11. PLANNING AND COORDINATION PAYS • Define your own need and set your own priorities • Create a larger voice for your industry • Document the results for distribution and in developing rationale for grant applications • Keep the document updates as the industry transforms

12. Two days 18 speakers Funding agencies Diverse disciplines 18 additional participants Expand beyond production issues Writing sessions Consensus (Inclusive) Draft document PLANNING WORKSHOP 2005

13. DOCUMENT FORMAT • Topic areas • Disease Control/Prevention • Production Efficiencies • Market • Product Diversity • Logistics • Ecosystem Relationships • Wild Stock – Hatchery Stock Interaction • Economic impact of hatchery enhancement • Research goal statement • Rationale • Research needs and initiatives

14. 3 Production Efficiencies 3.1Goal: Develop or adopt new or more effective technologies & practices that improve smolt quality, lower costs of production, and increase production efficiency in hatchery operations. Rationale The consequences of lower prices for Alaska salmon requires that hatcheries funded by assessment taxes from commercial fishermen and/or cost recover fisheries to support operational expenses to become for cost effective in the hatchery operations. In actuality, hatcheries have been developing cost reducing strategies for a number of years by shortening freshwater rearing time for king salmon smolt, employing saltwater pen rearing, developing remote smolt release programs in improve cost recovery harvest efficiency, utilizing mass egg incubation systems, and a number of other strategies. These practices have reduced operational expenses to the point that many operation feel they are near maximum efficiency and additional efficiencies will likely lead to marginal increases in cost reductions, never the less, exploring more production efficiency remains a major goal of hatcheries. Research needs and initiatives: (H) Review of existing fish culture protocol at hatcheries for cost effectiveness by species. (H) Develop methods to assess and application to improve smolt quality.

15. Reviewed by each association 24 pages addressing 8 topic areas Working document Immediately valuable FINAL DOCUMENT

16. AGRICULTURE INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP GROUP • Chapter on • Aquaculture opportunities and constraints • Aquaculture in Alaska • Shellfish farming • Salmon ranching

17. CURRENT STATUS AND FUTURE EFFORTS • Document needs updating • Appeal the agriculture status of salmon ranching • Incorporation of aquaculture into statewide agriculture strategic plan currently under development