Strong Runs - Winter 2015

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Wild Fish Works: Oregon Coast (Official Trailer)

Wild Fish Works: Oregon Coast (Official Trailer) from Russ Schnitzer on Vimeo.

Wild salmon and steelhead are important to more than just anglers. They represent significant social, cultural and economic ties up and down the Oregon coast. Over the past year, Alan Moore and I worked to explore a few different examples of these connections. Wild Fish Works: Oregon Coast is the result. We hope that angling and non-angling viewers will consider their own connections to wild fish where they live, and explore the unique ways these fish manifest themselves across regions, communities and landscapes.

Wild Fish Works' message is non-political and positive: Where people, businesses, communities, conservation and landowners work together, Oregon's wild salmon, steelhead and trout heritage WORKS. Notably, the specification of "wild" fish in this context is NOT an anti-hatchery statement; rather, we call for more focus on the importance and attainability of conserving the wild fish reserves we still have, and the positive returns that even small investments in wild fish conservation can bring for Oregon. This is the "how" of Wild Fish Works.

Agriculture and ranch lands, and other resource-dependent businesses don't need to change hands, alter operations dramatically, or become outdoor recreation playgrounds for the urban crowd to foster wild fish. They can stay largely the same with wild fish using them, and perhaps even enhance values and pay quality-of-life dividends for people willing to welcome the fish. The fish pretty much take care of the rest."

Court delivers victory for Oregon salmon advocates

A tiny, unnamed stream in the Willamette Valley became the center of Oregon's long-running battle over salmon and dams on Thursday when the state high court delivered a resounding victory for advocates of wild migratory fish.

The Oregon Supreme Court ruled that the state's wildlife department has for years incorrectly interpreted its rules concerning the needs of migratory fish through dams. The court ruled that the department must enforce a state law that puts the needs of the fish's passage ahead of the dams owners' right to determine the best needs of their water rights.

LINK (via:Oregon Live)

“Today is a great day to be a wild fish in the Sandy River."

Huge news just in from the Native Fish Society.

Dear Members and Supporters,

It gives me immeasurable pleasure to begin my day by informing you that late yesterday afternoon, Native Fish Society was victorious in its lawsuit on the Sandy River hatchery.  In short, it was a decisive victory.

The judge (Haggerty) said:  “It is undisputed that hatchery operations can pose a host of risks to wild fish…it is clear that the Sandy River Basin is of particular importance to the recovery of the four [Endangered Species Act] listed species and is an ecologically critical area.”  He said that the National Marine Fisheries Service violated the Endangered Species Act and the National Environmental Policies Act when it approved the State of Oregon’s management of the Sandy River Hatchery.

As you may recall, we, along with Eugene-based McKenzie Fly Fishers, sued NMFS in a last ditch effort to prevent the extinction of Chinook, steelhead and coho in the Sandy River.  The State of Oregon had received NMFS’ blessing under the Endangered Species Act to continue to drown the river with over a million hatchery fish.  The judge found fault with NMFS because it “treats the success of the [hatchery] programs as a given, an issue called into doubt by ODFW’s miserable track record of containing stray rates.”

On behalf of everyone at Native Fish Society, I want to express our deepest appreciation for your support and confidence in our long pursuit of victory on the Sandy.  If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact me.

As Bill Bakke said, “Today is a great day to be a wild fish in the Sandy River."

Read the press release.

Hatchery fish might provide some expedient relief to harvesters, but their overall impact is negative

Bruce Brown who wrote Mountain in the Clouds, the book which served as the foundation for three decades of work on salmon restoration, was recently profiled in the Seattle Times.

In this follow up Brown shares his thoughts on hatcheries.

(Via: Osprey Steelhead News)

Hatchery fish have their place, but is the Makenzie River the place?

Oregon’s blue-ribbon Metolius and Deschutes rivers are examples of a rapid recovery of wild populations after the elimination of hatchery plants. The state’s own McKenzie management policy spells out the road to recovery in a single, easy step: Remove stocked trout from the McKenzie. All we need to do now is follow it.

Read more at The Register Guard here

As there should be, a hefty amount of debate surrounds this issue - why not let the Chum Nation chime in.  Let's sound off on our forum