Alaska’s salmon industry
Alaska is known for its world-famous sustainable salmon runs. In the 1970s, in an effort to promote long-term sustainability and management, the State of Alaska, coastal communities, and fishermen alike came together to develop an innovative aquaculture program that would serve Alaskan users – subsistence, commercial, sports, and public use – for generations to come, and also contribute to Alaska’s status as an economic powerhouse in the seafood markets at home in the U.S. and abroad. Armstrong-Keta, Inc. was created to be a part of this phenomenon.
PORT ARMSTRONG HATCHERY
The Port Armstrong Hatchery is located on the remote southern end of Baranof Island in Southeast Alaska. This beautiful, unspoiled wilderness can only be accessed via boat or seaplane. However, this rugged outpost of paradise has a rich history of fishing, whaling, and canning.
Port Armstrong was the site of a whaling station for four years in the early 20th century, with whaling boats scouring the seas for whales up to 300 miles in every direction. Later a herring reduction plant operated there for several decades until 1953. AKI built its salmon hatchery on the same site in the early 1980s and took its first salmon eggs in 1983, using local salmon runs for its original broodstock to supplement the healthy and sustainable wild Alaskan salmon runs.
Why Salmon enhancement?
The topography of Baranof Island is generally very steep and rocky, with high glacier-clad mountains and deep fjords and bays. The rainforest climate and marine conditions are ideal for salmon runs, but the steep streams offer minimal locations where salmon can spawn naturally. The hatchery provides the missing link — supplying incubators and human-assisted spawning — to allow salmon to take advantage of these ideal environmental conditions and thrive in this location.
The enhancement of the wild salmon stock indirectly benefits processors, tenders, hatchery employees, and many of the local businesses supporting this industry.
LIFE AT THE HATCHERY
Life at the hatchery is a dynamic blend of scientific research, environmental stewardship, and community collaboration, embodying the charm of a small village nestled along Port Armstrong’s picturesque shoreline. Our facilities, evolving with increasing production, include incubation buildings, raceways, and saltwater net pens.
The hatchery staff, led by Manager Ben Contag, lives onsite amongst friends and family, forming a close-knit community of about eighteen people surrounded by a diverse landscape of steep hillsides, dense forests, lakes, open muskegs, and high mountains. Our remote location fosters independence as we generate hydroelectric power and use satellite internet, with infrastructure tailored for fish culture and domestic needs, contributing to a sustainable and thriving environment for both our staff and the salmon we nurture.
Research and innovation
The Port Armstrong Hatchery is committed to advancing salmon aquaculture through continuous improvement and innovation, forging a close collaboration with the National Marine Fisheries Service station in Little Port Walter, situated just two bays north. The scientists at Little Port Walter have spearheaded the development of Alaskan salmon aquaculture techniques, serving as a crucial asset for the hatchery staff.
AKI’s core mission includes active research and experimentation aimed at refining salmon enhancement techniques to promote the longevity of the salmon fishing industry and the health of our marine environment.
Our Commitment
We are committed to operating the Port Armstrong Hatchery sustainably, contributing to Southeast Alaska’s fisheries while innovating fish culture techniques to enhance hatchery salmon production and support local economies.