Straying of salmon is often used to condemn hatchery production.  However, it is this very characteristic that has helped to make salmon such a successful species.  It has also help to expand production in creeks where ladders/bypass channels have allowed more fish into streams to use more spawning habitat.

'Carrying capacity' is another phrase often bandied about by hatchery critics.  Surely there is a maximum capacity to ocean productivity, but we don't yet have a clue what it is.  We cannot assume that the perfect number of salmon in the ocean just happens to be he number coming out of natural streams which is limited by spawning habitat.

The Alaska hatchery system has probably been the single best investment this state has ever made.  It has brought huge wealth to the coastal people of this state.