hatchery-programs-likely-causing-weakening-of-wild-salmon-populations
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wildmanyeah
Crew Member
With the FF battle pretty much one Hatcheries, commercial fishing and recreational fishing is the next target. This letter show the ENGO hand. Add to it 25% MPA and will be fishing in more congested areas for shorter periods of time.
searun
Well-Known Member
First off, our practices here in BC for steelhead differ greatly from Oregon. Much of the lessens learned in Oregon were applied here so as not to repeat the same mistakes. Not all hatchery programs are as advertised by the anti-hatchery crowd. Hatcheries are a tool, that if used wisely can help address a variety of issues including abundance. Let's also not forget that for our S-0 Chinook or ocean type chinook, their exposure to a non-wild environment is about 4 months out of a 4 or more year life span. How are they any less "fit?" Could we do things better?...absolutely. One of the things we could do better is to mimic wild rearing conditions, as has been experimented with at the Nitnat hatchery with some success. We could also do a much more robust job using genetics to better match parents, and a selection of brood pairing that selects larger adults. Worth repeating...most of our chinook hatchery programs are S-0 programs with very limited time where the hatchery fish spend time in non-wild ecosystems.
Lastly, we do need to consider the issue of creating "abundance" because we are also trying to deal with finding ways to mitigate the impacts of habitat loss and climate change. If we dial back our current hatchery programs and try to have a "wild" only approach that will lead to disastrous consequences for animals that rely upon Chinook abundance for survival (SRKW), and also for coastal communities that are reliant upon Chinook abundance for creating fishery values that support their economies. Places like Port Renfrew or Bamfield for example, would simply wither away without the economic benefits of a robust recreational fishery. These anti-hatchery people need to look themselves in the mirror and ask themselves how they can honestly sleep at night knowing their rhetoric is aiming to put people and communities out of work, and will result in SRKW and other iconic animals moving yet another step towards extinction.
Lastly, we do need to consider the issue of creating "abundance" because we are also trying to deal with finding ways to mitigate the impacts of habitat loss and climate change. If we dial back our current hatchery programs and try to have a "wild" only approach that will lead to disastrous consequences for animals that rely upon Chinook abundance for survival (SRKW), and also for coastal communities that are reliant upon Chinook abundance for creating fishery values that support their economies. Places like Port Renfrew or Bamfield for example, would simply wither away without the economic benefits of a robust recreational fishery. These anti-hatchery people need to look themselves in the mirror and ask themselves how they can honestly sleep at night knowing their rhetoric is aiming to put people and communities out of work, and will result in SRKW and other iconic animals moving yet another step towards extinction.
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