Fish hatcheries: A 19th century fix that won’t die

Part one of a Crosscut series on the resilience of fish hatcheries despite the evidence they are detrimental to wild fish runs.

One might have thought, erroneously, that by the second decade of the 21st century, hatcheries would be on their way out. Decades ago, salmon advocates and detached scientists identified hatcheries as one of the “4Hs” — harvest, hydro, habitat loss and hatcheries — threatening the recovery and even survival of many wild salmon and steelhead populations.

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Comparisons of Over 60 Years of Winter Steelhead Trends at Two NW Rivers

Skagit River steelhead harvests in 1951-60 averaged 15,000, nearly all wild. The 2001-10 combined harvests of wild and hatchery steelhead averaged 1,500. This loss coincides with a 1994-2007 average of 450,000 hatchery steelhead smolts planted annually in the Skagit - 6,235,000 total. At $1 per hatchery smolt, $6.23 million was spent in 14 years with resulting 90 percent loss of harvest once provided by wild steelhead 50 years ago.

NF Umpqua River wild winter runs of steelhead without hatchery winter steelhead plants have remained stable for 64 years with a return average of 7,150 wild steelhead per year.  Steelhead harvest has been similarly stable at 1,200 steelhead per year for 40 years.  This record of sustainability has come at no public cost.

Rebuilding wild steelhead populations means more fishing opportunity.

Historic Agreement Reforms Trinity River Fish Hatchery

Another victory for wild fish.

A federal court has approved the settlement agreement in a lawsuit challenging operations at the Trinity River Fish Hatchery. The agreement between EPIC, state agencies and Tribes allows the hatchery to continue to operate, but with needed reforms to restore imperiled wild coho salmon.

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Take the Adipose Pledge

On April 11th, 2014, the Native Fish Society is holding it's annual gala under the big top at Montgomery Park in Portland, Oregon. 

The Three Rivers Sportsman's Alliance plans to protest the Native Fish Society event. Their board members have said this protest "is the single most important event of the year for Oregon sport fisherman."

Now you can show your support for NFS by taking the Adipose Pledge and donating a dollar for every protestor that shows up.

You can also sponsor a protestor via the NFS website.

At last count there are 30 people registered to attend the protest on the TRSA picket the NFS Facebook event page.