Fisheries Technician

Jumpstart your fisheries career and gain hands‑on experience working with Pacific Salmon at large‑scale hatcheries in Alaska. Late winter and early spring projects (February to May) will focus on out migration and juvenile salmon rearing. Project lengths focused on juvenile fish rearing typically range from six to ten weeks, with limited projects ranging up to six to nine months.

• Free room and board at hatchery locations
  • Dormitory setting with shared room occupancy
  • No pets allowed
• 403(b) Retirement Plan – enrollment is optional
• Industrial/Heavy Duty rain jacket and bibs provided
• $500 Travel Reimbursement
  • Employees arrange their transportation to Anchorage, AK

Located on Evans Island at the south‑western entrance of the Prince William Sound. AFK is a remote, off‑grid facility only accessible by boat or float plane. Typical transport to AFK is provided via boat from Whittier, AK, and the direct route is about three hours. This facility will rear pink and chum salmon for release into the ocean as fry. Approximately 172 million pink salmon and 19.5 million chum salmon fry are released every year in May.

An additional 40 million chum salmon fry are released at the remote station site in Port Chalmers every year in May. AFK collects approximately 190 million pink salmon eggs during eggtake operations in late August through late September.

• 2026 Project Start Date(s): 02/12; 02/26; 03/05; 03/12

Located in Unakwik Inlet at the northern end of the Prince William Sound. CCH is a remote, off‑grid facility only accessible by boat or float plane. Typical transport to CCH is provided via boat from Whittier, AK, and the direct route is about two hours. This facility will rear pink salmon for release into the ocean as fry. Approximately 168 million pink salmon fry are released every year in May.

CCH collects approximately 187 million pink salmon eggs during eggtake operations in late August through late September.

• 2026 Project Start Date(s): 03/03; 04/07

Located in the interior near Paxson, AK, along the Gulkana River. GH is a rural facility accessible by vehicle with a remote, off‑grid release and collection site, Crosswinds, located in a backcountry/wilderness setting. Typical transport to GH is provided via vehicle from Anchorage, AK, and the direct route is about five hours. Typical transport to Crosswinds is provided via small air bushcraft.

This facility will rear sockeye salmon for release into lakes and rivers as fry. Approximately 22 million sockeye salmon fry are released every year, beginning in April and ending in July. GH collects approximately 36.75 million sockeye salmon eggs during eggtake operations in late August through early October.

• 2026 Project Start Date(s): 03/16; 04/20

Located at Main Bay in the mid‑west section of Prince William Sound, south of Whittier. MBH is a remote, off‑grid facility only accessible by boat or float plane. Typical transport to MBH is provided via boat from Whittier, AK, and the direct route is about one and a half hours. This facility will rear sockeye salmon for release into the ocean as smolt.

Approximately 10.5 million sockeye salmon smolt are released every year in May. MBH collects approximately 12.4 million sockeye salmon eggs during eggtake operations in late July through late August.

• 2025 Winter Rearing Start Date(s): 11/06; 12/04
• 2026 Project Start Date(s): 02/12; 02/26

Located on Esther Island in the Prince William Sound, east of Whittier. WNH is a remote, off‑grid facility only accessible by boat or float plane. Typical transport to WNH is provided via boat from Whittier, AK, and the direct route is about one hour. This facility will rear pink, chum, and coho salmon for release into the ocean as fry and smolt.

Approximately 133 million pink salmon fry and 73 million chum fry are released every year in May. About 3.5 million coho salmon and 46 thousand chinook salmon smolt are released in June. WNH collects approximately 148 million pink, 153 million chum, 4 million coho, and 50 thousand chinook salmon eggs…