After three weeks of working long days the Aquanator was finally ready to what she was designed for, to transport salmon from fishing grounds to port. Which brings up the topic of salmon which are a unique fish in the fact that they begin their life in fresh water spend the bulk of their lives in salt water then return to the fresh water they were born in to spawn, pretty amazing. Depending on the type of salmon they return to their spawning grounds after spending between 3 to 5 years in the ocean.
The salmon industry in Alaska is regulated by the state government. They decide where, when how and who can legally fish for salmon. Not all but most of the commercially harvested “wild” salmon begin their lives at one of the dozen or so state run fish hatcheries. And such after spending the bulk of their lives at sea will return to the hatchery where they were born. So it would appear that it would be relatively easy to catch the returning fish, just put your net in front of the hatchery and bingo fish. However there are numerous hurdles necessary to overcome before the net can hit the water. First you’ll need a boat and a net which depending on the type boat can run anywhere from 10K to a million dollars. Next you’ll need a license which if available will set you back an additional 300K, all before you even catch your first fish, onward!