A broad brushed comment like that is not totally accurate. Hatchery fish like wild are effected by the same environmental variables. Some years are better than others; many coastal hatchery programs are fairly successful. PS and south Puget sound hatcheries have mostly tanked and should be abandoned as you noted are a total waste of money and limited resources. The Wynoochie is a good example of tossing in the towel to the wild fish and creating a hatchery management zone. Unless it’s totally shut down indefinitely the wilds don’t stand a chance given the drift boat choo choo train that crick sees from December to March. Cowlitz is another one, good user access and a pre existing facility to produce large quantities of fish efficiently. (If there is such a thing). Hatchery management zone would also have great positive impact on the last few healthy pockets of wild fish by reducing pressure on those rivers. Let face it if humans had been around a few thousand years ago we may still have a few triceratops around……in a zoo!