4salt forgive me here for jumping in but i am gonna answer all the q's raised by grandpa

1)Do they oppose all hatcheries? If not which ones do they advocate?
Answer: They do not oppose hatcheries! they oppose hatchery practices that cause problems for wild stocks!!!!!!


2)Did they push through the "zero fishing" option for Puget Sound?
Answer: I don't know but if a stock becomes listed allowing targeted fisheries on thoes stocks is illegal and it wouldn't matter if WT pushed for it or not!

3) Did they threaten to sue of the proposed Cedar River Sockeye hatchery?
Answer: Again i don't know but the state spending any more money on a nrew hatchery program is stupid when they don't have the money to run the hatcheries they already have!!!!!

4) Please explain to us how Washington Trout is a fishing organization. Not just started by fishermen and run by fishermen. A fisherman could start any kind of political advocacy group.
Answer: Is Ducks Unlimited a hunting group??? I suggest that instead of assuming things about the group that you actually get to know some of WT's members. You'll find that 99% of them are avid fishermen who want increased angling opportunityjust not at the expense of the last of the Puget Sound Chinook.

5)How can you positively tell if a fish is wild?
Answer: 1. a fin clip 2. a rubbed dorsal fin 3. in some cases the physical charecteristics
4. life history can be determined through scale samples 5. ever day WDFW bio's tell not only what fish are hatchery and which are wild but they can tell through genetic testing exactly who the parent fish were and where they spawned in many cses.

6)What exactly is the "documented" harm done by hatcheries?
Answer: if you are sincere in wanting this info I can e-mail you as much as you want.

7)Do I have the right to oppose Washington Trout's lawsuit without being branded a moron?
Answer: yes of course as long as I have the right to disagree and not be branded an anti-fishing radical enviromentalist wacko

8)If you applaud their lawsuit and support it are you smarter than those who oppose it?
Answer: NO absolutely not maybe better informed and or differently motivated but knowledge and motivation does not translate to intelligence