Kurils/Iturup: Salmon Hatchery Plant
Kuril Islands, Sakhalin, and Kamchatka have the biggest salmon runs in the world (Alaska pales in comparison). This year, the run is particularly massive, with pink and king salmon filling every river possible to the boiling point. Kunashir’s biggest industry is salmon, the fish comes back to the same spot they were hatched at a factory several years ago. One such plant is on display here – fish comes in thousands into artificial waterfalls where they try but can’t jump over. Caviar is harvested and fish is caught here, and then processed at a different location. Occasionally, bears like to wander here at night, break through electric fence, drop into the fish tanks, and just absolutely pig out on salmon like there’s no tomorrow. And the salmon just keeps on coming.
