Oregon Proposes Removing Hatchery Fish From Wild Fish Areas

Cue the pro hatchery contingent. 

Hatchery-reared fish would get the heave ho from certain rivers along the Oregon Coast under the latest strategy to help Oregon’s wild salmon and steelhead.

The new management plan proposed by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife would designate several coastal rivers as “wild fish emphasis areas,” while increasing the number of hatchery fish planted in other coastal rivers to expand fishing opportunities in those waters.

(via: Oregon Public Radio)

News from Centralia

The Lower Columbia press report from last Thursday's WWF WDFW public meeting.

A proposal to eliminate hatchery steelhead fishing on the Green and North Fork of the Toutle rivers drew opposition from most people who testified Thursday during a boisterous meeting at Centralia College.

Speakers objected to losing a fishery that attracts anglers from afar in late spring and summer.

However, several people supported the state Department of Fish and Wildlife’s suggestion that stocking of hatchery summer steelhead be ended to create a wild steelhead sanctuary in the two rivers.

LINK (via: TDN.com)

Boisterous? More like rude, obnoxious and disrespectful.

Lawsuit Filed Over Hatchery Salmon

The state and federal governments’ annual release of hundreds of thousands of hatchery-raised spring chinook salmon into the McKenzie River is jeopardizing the recovery of the river’s dwindling wild salmon runs and must be dramatically curtailed, two fly fishing advocacy groups say in a federal lawsuit filed this week.

McKenzie Flyfishers and the Steamboaters allege in the suit that the state Department of Fish and Wildlife and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are violating the federal Endangered Species Act by not taking measures to prevent the crossbreeding of wild and hatchery spring chinook salmon in the McKenzie River.

LINK (via:OPB News)

A Call For Philosophical Shift On Use Of Hatcheries

Jim Lichatowich is a biologist who’s worked on salmon issues as a researcher, manager and scientific advisor for more than 40 years. He sat down with EarthFix’s Ashley Ahearn to talk about his new book: “Salmon, People and Place: A Biologist’s Search For Salmon Recovery.”

Wild Steelhead Gene Bank

Work will ramp up in September leading to an October recommendation where to eliminate hatchery steelhead releases and create a gene bank for wild fish in the Lewis or Washougal rivers.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has formed a 20-member steelhead management work group to develop regional plans for steelhead in the North Fork Lewis, East Fork Lewis and Washougal rivers plus Salmon Creek.

Federal fishery officials, along with Washington’s 2008 Statewide Steelhead Management Plan, are calling for designation of a network of watersheds where wild steelhead populations are “largely protected from the effects of hatchery programs.’’

LINK (via: The Columbian)

(Some) Anglers surly over potential steelhead changes

 

Federal fishery officials, along with Washington's 2008 Statewide Steelhead Management Plan, are calling for designation of a network of watersheds for wild steelhead so the wild genetics are not diluted by hatchery fish.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has started the process of developing a regional management plan for steelhead in the North Fork Lewis, East Fork Lewis and Washougal rivers along with Salmon Creek.

One of the outcomes of this process likely will be elimination of hatchery steelhead releases in one of the streams in order to create a genetic bank for wild fish.

Some anglers are not happy about losing their hatchery plants.

Sounds like lost fishing opportunity,'' said Keith Hyde, president of the Columbia River chapter of the Association of Northwest Steelheaders.

Clark County has a big population of aging anglers who have a long history of fishing the local streams, Hyde added.

"Our goal is a balance of recovery of wild fish and still providing as much opportunity as we can,'' Glaser said.

LINK (via: The Columbian)

There are 178 some odd hatchery programs throughout Washington and our wild steelhead runs continue their decline towards extinction. How's that working out for everybody? Supporting the WDFW's modest steelhead management plan would be a logical first step for any group that really cares about the recovery of wild fish, the current strategy is clearly not working.