Quote:
The overall size of the chinook hatchery program in Puget Sound is far too large with respect to any reasonable “acceptable levels” of competition, predation, and related genetic and ecological impacts upon indigenous wild chinook
WT is full of .... !!! Let take a look at the Blackmouth Program... the State was suppose to reach a goal of releasing 3M juvenile Chinook a year by 2000. As a matter of fact, we have only hit 2M in the last 3 years. Now budget cuts, probably due to the settlement, closed 2 big hatcheries in the South Sound. McCallister Creek- released 300,000 juveniles a year-gone. Couple this with Percival Cove not being able to renew the pollution permit and we have a total of 500K. This is 25% of the entire program throughout the Puget Sound! BS! The Coulter Creek hatchery also closed.. a main staple of South Sound Silvers...

Predation? Marine mammals- it is a big problem already and going to get worse. It has already left a big dent in the herring stocks! That statement is far from the truth WT..

If anything, the hatcheries have made a huge impact for sport/commercial fishing the last couple years. Especially with the US/Canadian agreement... Look at the numbers! It is black and white.

What is WT going to do when we don't have any fish left to catch? Who going to support you? I probably take up knitting!
_________________________
"If you are not scratchin bottom, you ain't fishing deep enough!" -DR

Puget Sound Anglers, Gig Harbor Chapter