Todd,

I've also heard from a fellow that used to work for the Quinault Tribe that they don't fin clip their hatchery steelhead. For the most part they use native steelhead broodstock and selective hatchery techniques to minimize the differences between the hatchery and wild fish. They feel the program is successful, with hatchery raised steelhead that escape the fishery spawning in the wild and some wild fish added each season to the hatchery brood stock supply. The long term implications are unknown yet, but it's probably at least as good, if not better, than the WDFW policy of planted Chambers Creek hatchery steelhead throughout western Washington like Johnny Apple-trout-seed.

I've asked fish vendors at Pike Place, and they do sell steelhead they get from Quinault Tribal Enterprizes. The vendor didn't act like he knew native from motorcycle mufflers. Many of the grocery stores sell farmed steelhead from eastern WA and ID. Farmed salmon and steelhead are probably a good thing. They allow the marketplace to aid in conservation. Remember how treaty caught steelhead were getting $2.50 per pound to the fisherman from the commercial buyer in 1979? Now they're lucky to get $0.75 per pound. That is probably attributable in large part to fish farming and reduced purchases by the Japanese. I have heard of treaty fishermen on the Skagit who stopped fishing steelhead because they couldn't make enough money to cover their gas and net expenses.

So let the stores sell all the farmed fish they can. But we should tell fish buyers that we won't shop in their store if they sell native wild steelhead. They need to be educated enough to understand the difference if they are going to be in the business.

Sincerely,

Salmo g.