UW Teaching & Research Hatchery Tours

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How should my class prepare for the tour?

Fish are captured using a seine net, and sorted for ripeness of gametes. Ripe fish will be sacrificed for artificial spawning. The process used to sacrifice fish is blunt force trauma to the head followed by severing of the gills. Striking the fish directly on the head with a club, cracking its skull, and rendering it unconscious or dead facilitate this. Its gills are then severed to drain off blood; this guarantees death and may improve quality of the eggs while extracting them. While this may be a shocking process to observe, rest assured it is done as humanely as possible. Adult salmon naturally die after spawning; therefore, artificial spawning shortens the lives of hatchery fish by only a few days and vastly increases the number of their offspring that will survive to adulthood. Be sure to explain this to your students prior to arrival.
The UW hatchery staff strives to ensure that spawning demonstrations are given on all tour days, which are scheduled to parallel the predicted season of salmon return. However, the scheduled tour season will not be in precise synchrony with the actual period of salmon return. Whether spawning demonstrations can be given on a tour day is ultimately contingent upon the availability of adult salmon ripe enough for spawning, and this varies even across days within a season. Thus, although spawning demonstrations are nearly certain to be given on the day of your tour.

2. Are tours cancelled if it is raining?

No, the tours go on rain or shine! The majority of the tour is conducted outdoors, so, dress appropriately!

3. Can we bring lunches/snacks?

Tour groups are welcome to bring lunches or snacks and have them on grassy areas near hatchery. There are no indoor lunchroom facilities at the hatchery.

4. How much adult supervision do you require?

For further information, send email to hatchery @ u dot washington dot edu.