When I first started in the business we (the steelhead group in WDG) actually tried to develop and implement identifiers for steelhead. Native, as in basically the original genotype and evolving in the watershed. Wild, anything that successfully reproduces in the wild. Hatchery, spawned and incubated in a hatchery environment. Tried to get all the discussions to follow this.

I would disagree a bit with Rivrguy on evolution. If we stop putting in hatchery fish and let sufficient spawners escape then we will very quickly get "wild" fish. Over time, they will adapt with the first few generations showing the most adaptation.

Back in 1950s a few thousand (I believe Skeena) pinks were let loose in the Great Lakes. By the 1990s they had adapted and spread through the system. Plus, genetic analysis showed they were more different from the donor stock that many "good" species. I also applied one of the genetic clock equations and the solution was that the genetic difference took, I believe, 5,000 years to achieve. Except that it only took 40.