Originally Posted By: boater
Originally Posted By: Doctor Rick



(FWIW, I don't think hatchery fish are as much a problem as some here think, I think the fish would figure it all out just fine.



if they were not a problem and reproduced succesfully in the wild do you think we would have any esa listed salmon populations ?


Good question. I think that given enough time and development of some selfsustaining run people would just figure "problem solved." I think the state and fed govs don't want to spend any more money on sustaining any more runs than they have to.

Sg's comment about chinook in the Willamette system are interesting. The McKenzie, off the Willamette, has been thought to have the last "Native" run of Chinook in the system, but I have been told the genetics are mixed now and we have some "wild" fish mixed in with the hatchery fish.