Hatchery egg take levels still a volatile topic

“Hatcheries contribute to economic stability in the Prince William Sound region and Prince William Sound hatchery stocks are utilized by sportfish, subsistence and commercial users,” wrote Gerald McCune, president of Cordova District Fishermen United. “The hatchery program in Prince William Sound was created with the intent to protect fisheries during weaker wild salmon runs. Without hatchery operations this year, with the Copper River District closed for much of the season, the gillnet and seine fleets in Area E would have had very little opportunity to fish, and the impacts to our community would have been profound and devastating.”