Aquaculture is used in all states of the West Coast Region to enhance Pacific salmon stocks that support commercial, tribal, and recreational fisheries.
In California, white sea bass populations are enhanced to support recreational fisheries. Via artificial propagation, fish are produced at hatcheries and then released to rear in the wild.
Aquaculture is also used as one strategy to help recover Pacific salmon stocks that are listed under the Endangered Species Act. Captive broodstock rearing programs are reducing the extreme risk of extinction for stocks such as Redfish Lake sockeye salmon and aiding the rebuilding of core genetic populations of Snake River spring/summer Chinook salmon stocks from the Columbia/Snake River system.
Chinook/King Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha): enhancement, restoration
Chum/Dog Salmon (Oncorhynchus keta): enhancement
Coho/Silver Salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch): commercial, enhancement, restoration
Pink/Humpies (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha): enhancement, restoration
Sockeye/Red Salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka): enhancement, restoration
Steelhead/Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss): commercial, enhancement, restoration
White Sea Bass (Atractoscion nobilis): enhancement, restoration
NWFSC Endangered Species Salmon Project
Dereka Chargualaf, Fish Biologist with NOAA Fisheries West Coast Region in the California Coastal Office records data during a site visit on the Sacramento River.
Chinook salmon jump in frothy white water. Credit: Laura Mahoney/USFWS
