Cook Inlet Aquaculture Association
Encyclopedia
Kenai, Alaska
Kenai is a city in Kenai Peninsula Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 7,464...
, Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
that works to create sustainable salmon
Salmon
Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...
stocks in the Cook Inlet
Cook Inlet
Cook Inlet stretches from the Gulf of Alaska to Anchorage in south-central Alaska. Cook Inlet branches into the Knik Arm and Turnagain Arm at its northern end, almost surrounding Anchorage....
area. Initially the Alaska Department of Fish and Game
Alaska Department of Fish and Game
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game is a department within the government of Alaska. The Department of Fish and Game manages Alaska's fish, game, and aquatic plant resources.-History:...
ran most hatchery programs in Alaska, but as commercial fishermen began to see the benefits of such programs and began their own organizations in the 1970s and 1980s, ADF&G gradually phased itself out and co-ordinated efforts with privately run hatchery organizations like CIAA, one of eight regional aquaculture associations in Alaska. By 2001 CIAA was able to release 85 million salmon fry in a single year. It is estimated that 20-30% of commercially caught salmon in this region were spawned at CIAA hatcheries. The Association's programs include hatcheries
Fish hatchery
A fish hatchery is a "place for artificial breeding, hatching and rearing through the early life stages of animals, finfish and shellfish in particular". Hatcheries produce larval and juvenile fish primarily to support the aquaculture industry where they are transferred to on-growing systems...
that produce salmon fry which are released in streams and lakes, construction and maintenance of salmon migration routes, referred to as "fishways," and scientific research into salmon breeding and behavior patterns. CIAA works closely with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, who still own two of the three hatcheries operated by CIAA. Because of the importance of salmon to Alaska's economy, CIAA has at times been involved in controversy involving the tug-of-war between commercial and sport fisheries, and was at the center of a prolonged lawsuit involving its Trail Lakes hatchery.
Brown Bear
The brown bear is a large bear distributed across much of northern Eurasia and North America. It can weigh from and its largest subspecies, the Kodiak Bear, rivals the polar bear as the largest member of the bear family and as the largest land-based predator.There are several recognized...
attacked a small boy in an area adjacent to the Association's fish weir
Weir
A weir is a small overflow dam used to alter the flow characteristics of a river or stream. In most cases weirs take the form of a barrier across the river that causes water to pool behind the structure , but allows water to flow over the top...
near Bear Lake, leading some in the area to call for the closing of that facility, as they felt it was attracting bears. However, the victim believed the bear was actually after berries and was simply startled by the boys sudden arrival.