Frequently Asked Questions

About DIPAC Hatchery Operations

Q: How many hatcheries are under the DIPAC name?

A: There are three hatcheries under the DIPAC name. Snettisham is located about 50 river miles south of Juneau and raises strictly sockeye. The Macaulay Salmon Hatchery in Juneau raises Chum, King and Coho. Additionally DIPAC owns the Sheep Creek Hatchery located in the downtown Juneau area.

Q: Where does all of the fresh water come from for the incubation trays and the fish ladder?

A: Our fresh water source comes from the Salmon Creek Dam located on the mountainside behind the hatchery. At the peak of our operation which is July September we are pumping about 10,000 gallons of fresh water per minute through our facility.

Q: When was all of this started?

A: The original Juneau hatchery was started in 1976 in Kowee Creek on Douglas

Island and founded by Ladd Macaulay. We opened the door to to the Macaulay Salmon Hatchery (formerly the Gastineau Hatchery) in 1989.

Q: How many juvenile salmon does the Macaulay Salmon Hatchery release each year?

A: We release approximately 125 million juvenile salmon each spring into the ocean where they will live out their lives until they are ready to reproduce. Salmon will always return to their home stream to spawn; consequently the salmon released from our hatchery site will return to our hatchery site to spawn anywhere from 2-7 years later.

Q: How many salmon return here to spawn each year?

A: Anywhere between one and ten percent of the 125 million salmon that are released from this site each year will return here to spawn.

Q: How is this different from fish farming?

A: Firstly, fish farming is illegal in the state of Alaska. Therefore, when purchasing salmon if it says “Alaskan” you know for certain that it has not ben farmed. In a fish farm situation the salmon would never be released into the open ocean; they will spend their entire lives en caged which brings about many economic and environmental problems.

Q: How many hatcheries are there in Alaska?

A: There are 36 salmon hatcheries total in Alaska. The Macaulay Salmon Hatchery being one of the largest.

21 Private non-profit owned and operated
11 State owned and operated by a private non-profit organization
2 State owned and operated
2 Federal or Bureau of Indian Affairs

Q: I still don’t understand why hatcheries are important.

Why do we need them?

A: Without salmon hatcheries helping increase the population of wild salmon, the natural stock of salmon would most likely be completely depleted. Anywhere from 30 to 80 percent of salmon caught by commercial fishermen every year are from hatcheries.

About Alaskan Salmon

Q: What is the purpose of the physical changes that occur during spawning? How do they help the salmon?

A: The color changes help to camouflage the fish in the streams. The teeth that the males develop are used to defend territory and establish hierarchy. Also, Pacific salmon only have one lifecycle; meaning that once they are through spawning both male and female salmon die. So, when you see a spawning salmon in a fresh water stream they may look as if they are starting to decay, this is exactly what’s happening. They are beginning to loose pigment in their skin and their body is beginning to break down.

About the Visitors Center and Salmon Shop

Q: How do I get to the Macaulay Salmon Hatchery?
A: We are located between downtown Juneau and the Mendenhall Valley on Channel Drive off of Egan. We are on the water side of the hospital intersection. If you are an independent traveler, you may either take a taxi (fare from town is about $14) or we are about quarter mile off of the city bus route (bus fare is $1.50). If you are a cruise ship guest you may either sign up on your cruise ship for a tour in which we are part of or take the route of an independent traveler.

Q: I don’t see an expiration date on my salmon. When does my salmon expire?
A: Both canned salmon and retort pouches of smoked salmon are shelf stable for up to five years after the date of purchase. After this significant length of time the salmon begins to loose it’s nutritional value.

Q: There are no shipping prices listed. What is the cost to ship salmon from the salmon shop?
A: We ship all of our product (with the exemption of our fresh frozen product) using USPS which is weight dependent. Flat rate shipping through USPS is only $12, and anything six pounds and under can be shipped for under $20. Though we are shipping from Alaska, most prices for shipping are still reasonable. Shipping for overnight fresh frozen is as follows: 2 lbs = $37.00, 4 lbs = $42.00, 8 lbs = $48.00 and 10 lbs = $50