Southeast Alaska Chinook Salmon Fishery Mitigation Program
Pacific Salmon Treaty Agreement

The Southeast Alaska Chinook Salmon Fishery Mitigation Program (program) was initially established in 2009 as part of the Pacific Salmon Treaty (Treaty) negotiations and was designed to alleviate economic impacts resulting from a 15% reduction in Chinook salmon harvest levels under the 2009 revision to the Treaty (see Background). This program continues to be necessary due to an additional 7.5% reduction in Chinook harvest levels under the 2019 revision of the Treaty. Alaska's willingness to accept another loss to Chinook fisheries was predicated, in part, on a mitigation package designed to offset economic consequences. Primary impacts are on Southeast Alaska "hook and line fisheries", which include commercial troll and sport fisheries. With the signing of the 2019 Treaty Agreement, the U.S. negotiators agreed to a $22.4 million1 mitigation package for Southeast Alaska.

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) is the State entity that is administering the program and is advised by a Stakeholder Panel. The Stakeholder Panel includes representatives from the commercial troll fishery, sport fishery, hatchery operators, and Southeast Alaska community interests.

Program components include the following:

  • Hatchery fish marking, tagging, and evaluation — Alaska is held accountable for gaps in its information by what is known as the risk factor. In short, the risk factor considers potential errors in Alaska's data and reduces Chinook harvest levels accordingly. Alaska is interested in reducing the annual risk factor and improving access to hatchery-produced fish by expanding marking and tagging rates at Alaska hatcheries.
  • Hatchery enhancement projects — Alaska is interested in replacing as much of the 7.5% reduction taken in the 2019 Treaty Agreement as possible with increased hatchery production. Hatchery production will be expanded across seven locations for an increase of up to 2.5 million yearling releases per year.
  • Hatchery Research — Funds may also be used to develop brood stocks and to conduct critical hatchery-related research into marine survival, alternate life history traits, migration, and other information that can increase fishing opportunities.

This website provides information about the current program (see Pacific Salmon Treaty Implementation flyer (PDF 1,766 kB).) and the previous program implemented under the 2009 Treaty Agreement (see 2009 Treaty Agreement Mitigation Program).