Monterey Bay Salmon & Trout Project

By Larry Wolf & Al Smith

The Monterey Bay Salmon & Trout project operates salt-water net pens each spring in the Santa Cruz & Monterey Harbors. The purpose of these net pens is to bring 240,000 Chinook salmon from State Hatcheries on the Sacramento River system to our net pens for release directly into the Monterey Bay. These pens are designed to allow young Chinook salmon smolts to avoid the loss of downstream migration, which can kill up to 40% of the outgoing fish. Hatchery fish are being transported directly to this area to supplement the natural production of wild fish that migrate down from the Sacramento River system during the spring and summer months.

Once through our net pens these hatchery fish will tend to stay in the general area and will not go back to spawn with other wild fish or hatchery fish that feed in the bay during spring and summer. The reason for this fact is that when we bring the young Chinook smolts down from the State Hatcheries, the fish are placed into floating bladders containing fresh water similar to what they have just left. Over a 3-day period we slowly change the fresh water to salt water. This slow process helps the young salmon make the acclamation change from fresh to salt water much less stressfully. We usually lose less than 1% of our fish compared to 40% loss on the out migration of hatchery and wild fish through the Sacramento River system.

This acclimation process results in a salmon tasting salt water for the first time, thus setting its homing instinct for the rest of its life to return to that same spot to look for fresh water. This in turn keeps these salmon in the Monterey Bay for most of their adult life. It should also be noted that these fish have a 3-year life cycle which ends in the fall of their third year.

Because these fish stay in this area, there was some concern that these fish may spawn in our local creeks and streams. This is not possible because these fish are fall run fish and their life ends by November of their third year. Sufficient rains do not return to the Monterey Bay area until late December or early January. These Chinook salmon also need a large fresh water river system to stimulate their reproductive abilities. That does not exist in the Monterey Bay area during that time period.

A brief history of our pen operations is as follows. The first two 15' x 20' floating net pens were built at Moss Landing by MBSTP volunteers from old used floating dock material donated to us from the Moss Landing Harbor District. After a few years of use, all pen floats had to be replaced due to failures of the original old float material. This was done with additional used material donated by the Santa Cruz Harbor District. In 1995, a single 16' x 40' floating net pen, intended for use in the new Monterey Harbor.

Wharf#1 was built in Monterey by MBSTP volunteers from old used floating dock material donated to us from the Monterey Harbor District. The Monterey pens were used until last year when we replaced their net pen with a new portable 24' x 48' floating sea pen constructed from welded, very strong, high density plastic piping with a very long term service life. The Moss Landing operation closed three years ago due to constant dredging in the harbor. The old net pens were too heavy and damaged to move and were decommissioned. That is why we have opened the Santa Cruz Harbor net pen operation.

With both pens in operation, we release 240,000 Chinook salmon directly into the Monterey Bay. These fish have a 400% higher harvest rate over hatchery and wild fish that migrate down the Sacramento River system. This is good for local fishermen as well as other predators that live in our ocean environment.

Finally, we are a 501c3 non-profit volunteer organization that is trying to protect and restore our local fish populations. If any of this sounds interesting to you, please contact our hatchery at 831-475-3095. Listed below is our donation request form. Thanks again for your consideration.

Back