CFM,

It is not NOAA Fisheries' (not NMFS anymore) job to protect hatchery programs...they're mandated with protecting wild fish through the ESA.

I don't mean to argue that the run of "wild" fish in the Cowlitz is bogus or not, I personally don't see how many wild fish could be left after the netting, incredibly intense sport fishing, dams, and all the other habitat destruction there.

You are, however, making my point about the two possible responses by ODFW...if there are wild fish to protect (like they say there are in the Cowlitz, whether there are or not), then one of the possibilities is to cut hatchery production to protect them, especially, as in Oregon, if the mere presence of the hatchery fish is why the wild fish are threatened with de-listing.

1. a. NOAA Fisheries says there are wild fish in the Cowlitz
b. There are wild coho on the Oregon Coast

2. a. NOAA Fisheries/Tacoma Power wants to protect the fish
b. ODFW wants to protect the wild fish

3. a. NOAA/TP cut hatchery production in the Cowlitz to protect the "wild" run.
b. ODFW cuts hatchery production of coho to protect the wild run.

ODFW has to cut the hatcheries to protect the wild fish, because if they don't, then the fish lose their ESA protection, and so does their habitat.

Or...they don't cut hatchery production, the habitat gets further destroyed by PLF's members, the wild fish go extinct, and the inbred hatchery fish have no river habitat to rear in or migrate back up in. They are facing both genetic inferiority, which implodes upon itself more and more with each generation of inbreeding, plus continually worsening habitat.

Again, the idea of "salmon without rivers" has proven to be an absolute disaster...it doesn't provide wild fish, hatchery fish for broodstock, or hatchery fish for harvest, in the long run.

The very thing you are battling on the Cowlitz will likely happen in Oregon with their coho. To protect wild fish, hatchery production may go down.

Fish on...

Todd