Response to Technical Assistance Request 1077: Assist with the quantification of hatchery-spawned salmon straying into the Indian River. Sitka National Historical Park, Sitka, Alaska
Medley CN. 2013. Response to Technical Assistance Request 1077: Assist with the quantification of hatchery-spawned salmon straying into the Indian River. Sitka National Historical Park, Sitka, Alaska. National Park Service - Water Resources Division. NRSS, Fort Collins
Since the opening of the nearby Sheldon Jackson Fish Hatchery that uses Indian River water for rearing and attraction, pink salmon escapement in the river has increased by nearly 4 orders of magnitude. Extremely high escapement rates make it seem likely that substantial straying is occurring and that hatchery strays may be overwhelming naturally spawning salmon. A recent permit for the operation of the hatchery indicates that measures to reduce straying will be implemented if straying is excessive, but there are no current measurements of straying. Hatchery salmon have thermally marked otoliths, so sampling of otoliths from fish returning to the river can provide information on the percentages of hatchery versus naturally-spawned fish. The park seeks assistance designing a sampling strategy to address these concerns”