Quote:
Originally posted by Todd:


Bruce,

There is nothing in our Mission Statement or in the Draft Hatchery Policy that addresses shutting down hatcheries at all.

Our Draft Policy will attempt to set production goals for hatcheries and guidelines for how hatcheries should be evaluated to see how successful they are or not. This information can then be used to re-tool hatchery practices to help them better achieve their goals.

The only ones who can close hatcheries are the agencies that run them.

Fish on...

Todd.
I realize that the only ones that can close hatcheries are the agencies that run them, just like the only ones that can implement statewide WSR policies are the agencies that control policy setting. I'm not concerned about that. However as you and I both know those same agencies can be influenced by groups like WSC, that is why I am concerned about your policies regarding steelhead hatcheries and statements like this in your policy:

"Hatchery programs must be closely examined and be carried out in such a manner that the negative impacts on wild fish are removed or minimized."

You are an avocate for wild steelhead which are now illegal for sport fisherman to harvest statewide. You are not an avocate for hatchery steelhead. Saying that the negative impacts on wild fish by hatcheries are to be removed, tells me something about your policy.