Explore last year’s tribal hatchery releases below. Each circle represents a tribe or cooperative tribal program. Click on one and find out the composition of each tribe’s releases.
Treaty Indian Tribes in western Washington released 41 million hatchery salmon in 2012, according to recently compiled statistics.
Nearly all of the chinook and coho salmon produced at tribal hatcheries were “mass marked” by removal of the adipose fin – a fleshy extremity just behind the dorsal fin on the fish’s back. Clipping the fin makes for easy identification when the hatchery fish return as adults and are harvested.
Of the 41 million salmon released, 10.7 million were chinook. Significant numbers of chum (17 million) and coho (8.1 million) were also released in addition to nearly 1 million steelhead and 100,000 sockeye. Some of the salmon released by the tribes were produced in cooperation with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, State Regional Enhancement Groups, or other sport or community groups.
You can find a complete breakdown of tribal hatchery releases here: Tribal Hatchery releases 2012
