WT has never tried to isolate hatcheries as the primary factor in salmon and steelhead declines. What we have said is that they are one of the factors that must be dealt with in order to recover threatened salmon and steelhead populations. What we are saying is that hathceries are a principal threat to recovery; that's different than being a principal decline factor.

We do not advocate reforming hatcheries and nothing else. What we're saying is that salmon will not recover if we don't seriously address ALL the factors that lead to their decline, and that impacts from commercial overharvest and hatcheries will jeapordize salmon recovery if they are not remedied, no matter what else we do.

Salmon won't recover if we reform hatcheries but don't protect habitat or end overfishing. But likewise curbing overfishing and protecting salmon habitat won't work without reforming hatcheries. (Not to mention the fact that we will never be able to end overfishing or adequately protect the habitat if we don't reform hatcheries.)

You don't have to agree with WT, but I like it better when people disagree with WT's actual position.

Ramon Vanden Brulle
Washington Trout