I am not sure the eye catching headline is deserved, often these kind of headlines indicate that research funding is about to be lost and this is a way to generate public support for continued funding. That salmonid hatcheries generate a loss of reproductive fitness has been know for many years. What is interesting about this study is the recognition that the loss of reproductive fitness has a genetic component and is not just because of phenotype. This is not new, the salmon aquaculture industry has worked for years to increase the reproductive fitness of their broodstock. Numerous studies have shown that handling stress, stress from crowding, and other hatchery practices alter the hormone levels in sexually maturing fish. While eggs are maturing the altered hormone levels, importantly the growth hormone, are passed to the eggs. Apparently this has a genetic effect that causes a change in the growth hormone in the resulting offspring. This can lead to decreased fry survival, smaller body size, and in adult fish reduced fecundity in females and poor sperm quality in males.

Yakima/Klickitat fisheries has several ongoing studies looking at the reproductive ecology and success of hatchery and wild spring chinook. The paper, "Breeding Success of Wild & First Generation Hatchery Female Spring Chinook Spawning in an Artificial Channel [Schroder, S., et al.]" is a good study that examines broodstock program potential. It is online at the following site.

http://www.ykfp.org/publications/pubjumpmenu.htm

I am not convinced that using carcasses of hatchery fish for nutrient enhancement is a good idea. If the carcasses are consumed by juvenile fish in the river thy are going to get a dose of the altered hormones, natural birth control. Several years ago studies showed that using spawned hatchery carcasses to feed fish in the hatchery reduced reproductive fitness of the resulting adults.