October 11, 2001

• This fall exceptionally strong runs of coho, chinook and pink salmon are returning to many state hatcheries. Despite Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) action to greatly expand fishing opportunities and put hatchery fish to use in ways that benefit the ecosystem, a large number of fish remain.

• The large runs returning to hatcheries are largely due to unpredictable factors over the two- to four-year salmon life cycle. Those factors include weather, stream and ocean conditions as well as harvest effort in the ocean and elsewhere.

• With so many variables, it is impossible for fish managers to precisely control the number of fish that return to hatcheries each year. For example, the same number of Hoodsport Hatchery pink salmon fry that produced 6,000 returning adults several years ago produced 58,000 returning fish this year.

• To allow fishers to take advantage of this year's unusually robust salmon runs, WDFW has initiated a number of steps to maximize fishing opportunities including opening some fisheries for the first time in many years, extending existing seasons and/or raising daily bag limits.

• Many expanded recreational fishing opportunities were made possible because of the success of selective fishing, which allows anglers to target hatchery-produced fish while sparing wild ones. Hatchery-produced fish are marked by removing the adipose fins of the majority of juvenile fish to distinguish them from their wild counterparts. Other selective fishing techniques are being developed to allow commercial fishers to benefit from additional opportunity when hatchery returns are strong.

• In distributing fish that return to hatcheries, WDFW sets priorities to make the best use of the resource. The first priority is to harvest salmon eggs needed for future broodstock in state and tribal hatcheries and cooperative and volunteer fish-rearing projects conducted by Regional Fishery Enhancement Groups (RFEGs) and others.

• Salmon that remain after broodstock needs are met may be put to use to benefit the ecosystem, depending on the watershed where the hatchery is located and the available natural spawning areas near the hatchery. In many locations, fish are allowed to pass the hatchery and travel upstream to spawn naturally. Hatchery fish that are allowed to spawn in the wild are carefully monitored by WDFW scientists to ensure they do not impact wild stocks.

• Fish carcasses are an important source of nutrients in streams, and salmon are increasingly believed to be a vital foundation of forest ecosystems. Therefore carcasses of fish that remain after broodstock collection may be placed in areas where nutrient enhancement is needed. Volunteer labor is used for carcass distribution in most or all cases.

• Remaining fish suitable for human consumption are distributed to qualified food banks and Native American tribes. Some may be used for research and education activities. If any fish remain after these uses, they are provided to a contract buyer under a competitive bidding process. Proceeds from those sales go to regional fishery enhancement groups statewide, to the Washington state general fund or to offset the cost of federally or locally funded hatchery operations. The buyer is required to provide a portion of fish acquired through the bidding process to state hospitals and other state institutions.

• Details on how returning salmon will be utilized at specific WDFW hatcheries on the Columbia River, in the Puget Sound area and along the Washington coast are available from WDFW regional fish program managers.

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