Other salmon head to other points of origin, intent on reproducing. And then they die. They litter streams, their once sleek silver bodies pulverized against rocky shorelines.
Dogs roll in their remains, and the stink of dead salmon assails the senses.
It's the natural thing, of course. It's the end of their life cycle. Actually, not all the fish make it back to the hatcheries. As part of the cost recovery program, fishermen catch a predetermined amount of fish in Amalga Harbor and Gastineau Channel, areas where the hatchery releases fish. At the Sheep Creek hatchery, returning salmon are harvested and sold to processors.