This program seems a bit confusing, as has been mentioned. However, here are a few potential answers based on my limited knowledge (and some speculation).

Spring Chinook are not native to the Willapa Bay watershed (duh), but WDFW likely got some $$’s from NMFS to raise additional spring Chinook for SRKW production. (As a side note, several Federal/State/Tribal agencies got $$’s from NMFS for the same reason (SRKW’s) over the past couple years.) If WDFW had space and water at the Willapa State hatchery, they could raise springers without affecting native spring Chinook elsewhere. So they took spring Chinook eggs from the Kalama River, and shipped them to Willapa (thus avoiding any problems within the Columbia, particularly for harvest of Snake Rv springers in the Lower Columbia).

I agree the fish health protocols for moving fish between major watersheds is a concern, but it’s not insurmountable. And since springers aren’t native to Willapa, they’re not creating any problems with fish genetics.

The reason they’re marked (ad clip) is that they were raised with Federal dollars (NMFS appropriations). Recall that 15+ years ago, Federal appropriations law requires all fish raised on Federal dollars to be marked (e.g., ad-clipped) before being released (thanks to Rep Norm Dicks). This is a requirement regardless of whether there is a mark-selective fishery, or not.

And once the adult fish have returned to Willapa, they’re no longer needed as SRKW prey (unless SRKW’s enter Willapa Bay, which seems unlikely), or as broodstock since WDFW might not have gotten any Federal $$’s this year.

Thus, WDFW opened a fishery on them.