APPENDIX III APPENDIX III 
the State of Alaska. Recent advances in technology for salmon 
aquaculture and removal of legal barriers to private owner- 
ship of salmon have combined with a scarcity of wild stocks 
to stimulate private investment in ocean farming of Pacific 
salmon. 
According to NMFS, ocean farming is a form of aquaculture 
in which young salmon are artificially propagated and then re- 
leased into the ocean to feed and grow. Upon return to their 
Originating river, the mature salmon are harvested. Some 
ocean farmers rear salmon in salt water pens to a harvestable 
size to be sold commercially. 
Rehabilitation of the salmon fisheries is a long-term 
program to add to the fishery by reestablishing or increasing 
natural salmon runs. According to a 1974 salmon industry 
study, maintaining, protecting, and improving the present 
freshwater habitat of the salmon will provide for increased 
salmon production. This can be done by improving spawning 
grounds, facilitating passage over dams and other obstacles 
to migration, prohibiting construction of hydroelectric pro- 
jects, defraying or eliminating industrial practices which 
adversely affect the freshwater environment, and operating 
hatcheries and sustaining or improving the runs. 
Harvesting capability 
According to NMFS, the U.S. salmon industry's harvesting 
capability is more than adequate to harvest the available 
salmon resource. 
Although harvest capability is adequate, Washington 
State fisheries officials believe that effective fishery 
systems should salvage at least one-quarter of a miilion or 
more chinook males that are now wasted. Restrictive regula- 
tion has prevented progressive development of selective fish- 
ing gear to take advantage of such opportunities. 
Another opportunity for more effective harvesting is the 
development of a more accurate system to predict the size of 
salmon runs. Inaccurate forecasts can result in too many or 
too few fish reaching the spawning grounds. 
Product development 
and processing 
According to industry officials, salmon products are 
widely accepted throughout the United States and processors 
have not found expansion to other product forms necessary. 
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