Quote:
Originally posted by Salmo g.:
Parker,

The research we have (primarily Kalama River) indicates that hatchery steelhead spawning in the natural environment produces few to no returning adults. Same for hatchery X wild crosses, which is why we'd rather not have hatchery fish spawning with a wild fish. It's wastes the production potential of one wild spawner. Wild X wild is what produces returning adults.
Salmo g, could you provide a link to the paper that summariizes those findings. It would be interesting to know if these observations would hold up for other salmonid species. I am particularly interested in how hatchery/wild interactions affect the productivity of chinook salmon populations.

Alaska's Kasilof River is "enhanced" with early run kings. Last year the fishery went to WKR (wild king release) until ADFG can get a better handle on wild stock numbers and productivity. There is a perception that the wild component is in serious decline.

However, the glitch in the whole works now is that all surplus hatchery fish will be passed upriver thru the weir and allowed to spawn "naturally". The observations from Kalama steelhead would suggest this practice would be detrimental to long-term wild productivity of Kasilof kings. Does that assessment hold water?

TRBO, this issue is right up your alley as well. What do you think?
_________________________
"Let every angler who loves to fish think what it would mean to him to find the fish were gone." (Zane Grey)

"If you don't kill them, they will spawn." (Carcassman)


The Keen Eye MD
Long Live the Kings!