ARED, Inc.

 Alaska Resource & Economic Development,  Inc.
Supporting Healthy Sustainable Economies
 
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    Objectives     Description of Operations    Carrying Capacity     Spawning Bed Analysis & Site Selection    Assessment

  

Wild Salmon Restoration Initiative

Objectives

  
 

 

            
   

This Initiative strives to increase survival of the natural supply of wild salmon to their native watersheds by the following means:

  • Increasing survival of salmon in the early stages of their life cycle
  • Rejuvenating vital spawning habitat
  • Repopulating viable or previously inaccessible habitat
  • Providing nutrient augmentation until natural spawning is self-sustaining
  • Stewardship through local community involvement
  • Monitoring and evaluation of programs at various life stages facilitated by 100% otolith-marked fish
  • Increase efficiencies within existing hatchery-based restoration operations
  • Full collaboration between State and Federal agencies, local governments and private sector interest groups and stakeholders
  • Education-based projects where feasible

 
   
               
   

Our methodology for planting the otolith marked eggs into their natural spawning habitat emulates the de-silting process of spawning salmon and thus, assists in conditioning the rearing beds.

Salmon are known to be territorial in their spawning habits. Many subpopulations of a species may exist within one watershed yet when a decrease in a subpopulation occurs, it can take years to repopulate underutilized viable habitat due to this territorial behavior. In the event of low returns for consecutive years, the most viable habitat may never be repopulated. This can also exist in watersheds that have had degraded habitat restored.

Selective egg planting can achieve re-population of these under utilized systems.

ARED has successfully demonstrated a model of community participation including high school students and local community members actively engaged in all aspects of artificial recruitment.