The Snider program appears to increase the return of Snider hatchery fish during the brood time period that Snider brood are harvested. It would be beneficial to have data indicating the number of unmarked wild steelhead returning during the Snider brood harvest time period has increased significantly as a direct result of the Snider broodstock program. Those beneficial data are missing either because the desired effect hasn't occurred, or because of the lack of monitoring that would inform us if the intended effect has occurred.

Anecdotal information has been presented saying that January returns are up.

Returns of what? Snider hatchery fish? Or unmarked wild fish?

Up compared to what? In order to ascertain that the intended effect happened, we'd have to know what the average January return pre-Snider was, and what the average return post-Snider is.

Then there is the whole realm of unintended consequences. So far all data clearly indicate that hatchery fish spawning with wild fish results in diminished productivity of those wild fish. How many Snider fish spawn in the natural environment in HxH and HxW matings, and what effect does that have on total smolt productivity and subsequent adult return productivity?

To the extent that any Hx * matings occur, overall system productivity is reduced, but we don't have any data to inform us how much of a problem this might be.

Sg