For over 40 years, the Suquamish Tribe has worked to enhance salmon populations in the Pacific Northwest through hatchery operations and rearing facilities. Each year, Suquamish-run facilities release nearly three million Chinook, Chum, and Coho salmon into the wild.
Salmon raised in hatcheries carry tracking nodes in their snouts, allowing biologists to monitor their return after three to five years. The Salmon Enhancement Program focuses on restoring and expanding salmon runs within the Suquamish Tribe’s usual and accustomed fishing areas, particularly in East Kitsap County. Its primary goals are to restore naturally spawning chum and coho populations and provide hatchery Chinook and coho for harvest without impacting endangered species or wild salmon stocks. The program operates two brood stock hatcheries, multiple net pen facilities, and 14 satellite sites.
The Merel Hayes Salmon Enhancement Center, a key part of these efforts, releases approximately 500,000 Chinook and 250,000 Chum salmon annually. The Gorst Hatchery, a partnership with the City of Bremerton, releases 1.8 million Chinook and 300,000 Coho each year. To maintain genetic diversity, salmon eggs are fertilized by hand in small batches. Additional rearing occurs in net pens at Agate Pass and Elliott Bay, allowing salmon to grow stronger before release.