Our Story

Dedication and Service

It is incredible how one small idea can grow into something truly special. Cordova Fisheries Development Association is rooted in the belief that we all have an inherent responsibility to make a meaningful difference in our community. Our Board has combined decades of experience lobbying for and promoting Cordova and our Fisheries and related infrastructure in Prince William Sound. 

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With the current economic conditions in our country and community, a modern, efficient, Nelson Bay hatchery program is needed now more than ever, with the Shepard Point road set to begin construction in summer of 2024 the time is now to make this long sought after dream a reality for our community.

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Cordova Fisheries was established in 2022 by a group of Cordova residents representing various sectors of the community and the fishing fleet. The initiative arose from a pressing need to bolster local salmon and shellfish populations, spurred by decades of fishery closures in crab fisheries, a long dormant clam biomass, and high costs associated with up keeping the other aging hatchery infrastructure in the region. These challenges have severely impacted commercial and sport fisheries in Prince William Sound. From this necessity, emerged the vision for our proposed hatchery program, with a goal set by its founders to produce salmon for commercial, subsistence, and recreational users. We also have a goal to propagate crab and clams to restore historical local biomasses of shellfish.

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In 1971, Alaska established the Fisheries Rehabilitation Enhancement Division (FRED) within the Department of Fish and Game. Subsequently, the Hatchery Act of 1974 aimed to privatize salmon enhancement, allowing Alaskans to apply for finfish hatchery permits. Similarly in 2023, Alaska established rules and regulations allowing Alaskans to apply for shellfish hatchery permits.  Cordova Fisheries Development Association, Inc (CFDA) will operate under this regulatory framework. It was officially incorporated as an Alaska nonprofit corporation in July 2022 and has applied for tax-exempt status under Code § 501(c)(3) by the Internal Revenue Service. Alaska Hatchery Permit applications are currently being prepared. CFDA operates without members or shareholders, overseen by a volunteer Board of Directors consisting of seven members.

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CFDA differs from regional aquaculture associations in that it does not collect tax revenues from local fishermen. Initially, its primary revenue sources are sponsorships and donations, with the aim of becoming self-sustaining through salmon sales to local seafood processors. Salmon sales are expected to fund nearly all hatchery operations, programs, and administration.

CFDA aspires to be a vital economic catalyst for Cordova and the Prince William Sound region, aiming to enhance the lives of those reliant on Alaska's salmon and shellfish resources for subsistence, their livelihoods, and recreation by bolstering local wild populations.

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Please join us in promoting and help see this dream become a reality for the benefit of all Cordovans and the future of our community.