Why does "wild' steelhead appear to survive better then hatchery fish, or do they really?

We all know about the "habitat", interaction, and competition issues, but do we all know about what happens when a hatchery fish gets a body part removed?

We all know that numerous studies appear to show that wild steelhead apparently appear to survive better then hatchery fish, but is there other reasons why they survival is better?

Most of the studies that I have seen require that the "hatchery fish" are the ones who always have had their fins or body parts cut off "in the long term" studies. Do you think that over the years, that the cutting off of these body parts has turned the scales between hatcheries vs. wild survival rates, and if so why? Anybody have any science that shows how the cutting of fins or body parts off affects the survival of that species?

Do some species survive better then others do?

This tread IS NOT about hatchery vs. wild fish, it's about science only! So please bring in the science, and not your emotion, so that we all can all make our own judgments on the facts that we read!

I have spent over two years in a Fishery Technical Team (FTT) during the relicensing of the Cowlitz River and have worked with numerous biologists from WDFW, NMFS, USFWS, and Tribes. Never once, have I they fully answered this question. Isn't it about time that we all know what some of the "answers" really are?

P.S. Who ever "Chuck" is out there, lets see if this time he's got the balls to join in and contribute his vast world of unlimited knowledge on this issue.

Worse scenario, we may all learn something new!

Cowlitzfisherman
Is the taste of the bait worth the sting of the hook???