Originally Posted by
WLREDBAND
Just to be clear here, I am in NO WAY advocating for a suspension in hatchery production on our dam impacted rivers. There is no way for that to happen, even if additional habitat and water management practices improve (which I do support). Hatchery production MUST continue on these rivers. I am also in NO WAY advocating for the return of surplus stock hatchery fish being returned to the river, as James wants. That is a scientifically undefensible position, due to scientifically documented density dependent mortality and limited spawning habitat issues. Simply put, returning ALL surplus hatchery fish to the river is a BAD idea for a large variety of reasons as briefly discussed above. Any given stretch of our altered rivers only has the ability to spawn and rear a certain limited number of fish, and we are likely at that maximum level right now. Dumping more surplus fish back will NOT increase the number of salmon as claimed by James, and that is bad biological science that I DO NOT support.
Thanks for the clarification. I always appreciate when someone can articulate concerns for native or wild fish, habitat, etc; while also recognizing the necessity of some hatchery production in certain circumstances. I hope my earlier skepticism of the video wasn’t misinterpreted as being opposed to hatcheries entirely. I may be an idealist and a dreamer, but I’m also pragmatic enough to recognize that hatcheries do support some fisheries that wouldn’t exist otherwise. I’m not totally sure exactly where and how those lines are drawn, I definitely do appreciate folks with a much deeper factual knowledge sharing their perspectives. I’m open minded to hear scientifically valid suggestions about where and how those hatcheries could be most effective. I don’t doubt there are many valid issues that could be improved on, but the video came of as disingenuous to me as well.
One issue that concerned me most is more general/philosophical: I have big issues with trying to further a marketing message that hatchery and wild fish are essentially the same. If they are successful at pushing such an agenda, that has ramifications that would extend far beyond our Central Valley rivers. There are plenty of folks who want more hatchery steelhead in the Smith river for instance, want to be able to keep more fish, don’t care to support any habitat protections, etc...once the wild returns are too low just add more hatchery production.
Would I be willing to trade better local hatchery fisheries to the ultimate detriment of wild populations of steelhead elsewhere in this state or others? Definitely NOT! I’m more than willing to hear ideas about how hatcheries here could do better, about how water management practices could (and should!) be adjusted, etc etc etc... but I’m not willing to support any messaging that hatchery fish and wild fish are the same. I find it hard to trust much of anything else someone says after they’ve been pushing such a narrative. If I’m off base on the agenda behind the video, I think it shows they might need to broaden and clarify some of their positions and motives.
"Lord help me to be the person my dog thinks I am"
- unknown
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