Originally Posted By: Salmo g.

Before ESA, letting surplus returns of hatchery fish spawn naturally was SOP. Now with ESA WDFW has to limit the % of hatchery origin spawners (HOS) that spawn naturally with the "wild" Chinook in that river, even when most of those wild Chinook are progeny of the previous generation of HOS.


Sounds just like the scenario with wild LCR tules and wild Willapa/Naselle chinook. That we have any measurable production from the gravel is an artifact of a constant artificial infusion of HOS.

What's interesting to me is NOAA's apparent concern for minimizing pHOS in rivers where the state runs the hatcheries... yet they have MUCH less concern about the tribal hatchery program to recover Snake River fall chinook.

So far, the tribal model on the Snake seems to have the upper hand in chinook recovery when compared to PS chinook and LCR tules.

AHFMD??? Maybe.... maybe not?
_________________________
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The Keen Eye MD
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