OldBlackDog
Well-Known Member
From the article.
It’s a North Pacific problem
Across the Pacific Rim, the number of hatchery-raised salmon released into the Pacific has risen since 1970 from 500 million to more than 5 billion fish. Most of these hatchery-released fish are chum and pink salmon from Hokkaido, Japan; Southeast Alaska; and Sakhalin Island, Russia. Among other threats, they can spread disease into the wild salmon population.
Hatchery fish — ironically called “wild” in the grocery store — are allowed to interbreed with the wild salmon. That reduces the ability of their offspring to adapt and survive, according to the Wild Salmon Center, an international group based in Portland. Wild salmon and their ecosystems are more resilient. They can replace themselves at twice the rate of hatchery fish, thanks to the power of natural selection.
Japan and Russia have allowed their wild fish to disappear to a much greater extent than the U.S., and in some cases don’t even count the wild salmon anymore. Those countries are now forced to release billions of smolts into the Pacific because of the low productivity of the hatchery fish.
Even when Pacific Ocean conditions are good for salmon, the billions of hatchery fish then compete with Idaho steelhead for food as their ecosystem is overloaded. When conditions turn warm and the ecosystem productivity drops, there isn’t enough food to go around.
“We are dumping so many hatchery fish in the North Pacific salmon are actually overgrazing the ecosystem,” said Guido Rahr, president and CEO of the Wild Salmon Center.
Idaho hatcheries officials stand behind their work, and the benefits they believe it provides the region — particularly, fishing opportunities for the public.
“If you want to call the number of fish harvested a commodity, I guess that’s a personal choice. But I think it’s a very valuable use of the public trust,” said Lance Hebdon, salmon and steelhead manager for Idaho Fish and Game.
Read more here: http://www.idahostatesman.com/news/local/environment/article171776837.html#storylink=cpy
http://www.idahostatesman.com/news/local/environment/article171776837.html
It’s a North Pacific problem
Across the Pacific Rim, the number of hatchery-raised salmon released into the Pacific has risen since 1970 from 500 million to more than 5 billion fish. Most of these hatchery-released fish are chum and pink salmon from Hokkaido, Japan; Southeast Alaska; and Sakhalin Island, Russia. Among other threats, they can spread disease into the wild salmon population.
Hatchery fish — ironically called “wild” in the grocery store — are allowed to interbreed with the wild salmon. That reduces the ability of their offspring to adapt and survive, according to the Wild Salmon Center, an international group based in Portland. Wild salmon and their ecosystems are more resilient. They can replace themselves at twice the rate of hatchery fish, thanks to the power of natural selection.
Japan and Russia have allowed their wild fish to disappear to a much greater extent than the U.S., and in some cases don’t even count the wild salmon anymore. Those countries are now forced to release billions of smolts into the Pacific because of the low productivity of the hatchery fish.
Even when Pacific Ocean conditions are good for salmon, the billions of hatchery fish then compete with Idaho steelhead for food as their ecosystem is overloaded. When conditions turn warm and the ecosystem productivity drops, there isn’t enough food to go around.
“We are dumping so many hatchery fish in the North Pacific salmon are actually overgrazing the ecosystem,” said Guido Rahr, president and CEO of the Wild Salmon Center.
Idaho hatcheries officials stand behind their work, and the benefits they believe it provides the region — particularly, fishing opportunities for the public.
“If you want to call the number of fish harvested a commodity, I guess that’s a personal choice. But I think it’s a very valuable use of the public trust,” said Lance Hebdon, salmon and steelhead manager for Idaho Fish and Game.
Read more here: http://www.idahostatesman.com/news/local/environment/article171776837.html#storylink=cpy
http://www.idahostatesman.com/news/local/environment/article171776837.html
