Jere,
What we need, in my opinion, is a balance of habitat
rehabilitation, rejuvenation and protection coupled
with some hatchery assistance in those areas where
degradation and pressure has threatened the species'
very existence. This has to be more heavily weighted
in the favor of rejuvenation, protection and ethical
utilization of the resources rather than the hatchery
patch. We, as Mr. Singletary pointed out, will never
be rid of hatcheries. But because there will always be
somewhat of a need does not imply that there
necesarily has to be a huge dependence. Is there
something inherently wrong with weening a watershed
off of a hatchery after sufficient rehabilitation to a
state of self sufficience? A bigger question, I guess,
would be is that even possible?
As for Idaho, I am only familiar with the CdA and St.
Joe and, to a lesser degree, the Clearwater. To the
best of my knowledge, all of the aforementiond have
suffered adverse affects resulting from clearcutting
practices and/or mining. Hatcheries tended to divert
concentration away from the problems of siltation,
pollution, and acid mine drainage. As long as people
could catch fish, they were happy. It wasn't until a
lot of damage was done that the realization set in
that there was (is) a huge problem.
As for the commercial decimation of fish runs, the
lack of "waves", as you put it, puzzles me as well.
Don Johnson
--- Jere Crosby <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> And if you are a FISHERMAN, we need the band aid!
> We will never, as Preston
> has mentioned, return to a westcoast that is lightly
> populated. Summer-run
> steelhead, which was an incredible fishery that has
> been HATCHERY
> established, has never had any viable run of native
> fish. Those interested
> in shutting down fishing, have found small nitches
> of wild fish that have
> enabled those with that agenda, to shut down, or
> reduce to a pittance, a
> sport fishery. There use to be lots of anglers
> pursuing hatchery,
> summer-run steelhead on those systems that Preston
> mentioned...now look at
> it...it will never return to a viable fishery. The
> most comprehensive,
> statewide study indicated that there is very little
> effect on wild fish
> reproduction as a result of hatchery production.
> The only possibility of
> genetic integrity interference was on a small stream
> such as the Elochamen,
> where hatchery plants were large and the stream very
> small. Here in Idaho,
> where I have re-located, the same, kick'em off the
> water guys are using the
> same agenda to try and shut down our exceptional
> fishery here on the South
> Fork and other waters. The pure strain of native,
> Yellowstone cutthroat,
> has had a tough time remaining genetically pure and
> cope with 2001
> conditions. He is easy to catch, much more so than
> the rainbow and brown
> trout. I have listened to flies that work on the MF
> of the Snoqualmie.
> Most of those fish are cutthroat and if your dead
> drift doesn't work, strip
> it under and make it blurp, you'll catch any fish
> close...they are very
> susceptible to color and movement. The State of
> Idaho has put a generous
> limit on rainbows and the fly shops encourage you to
> kill any cuttbow, or
> rainbow on the South Fork, why?? To keep the
> shut-it-down guys from
> applying, under the Endangered Species act, from
> shutting down the South
> Fork!! One of the best fisheries in all the lower
> 48 states!! The flyshops
> have told me that the kill will not effect the fish
> population, but it will
> keep those at bay who want to shutdown fishing!!
> They have applied, to the
> Fed. gov't once, and were rejected, but will be back
> again trying to shut it
> down. Flyfisher persons accept triploid trout,
> re-stocking of their
> "quality waters" why do they support efforts to
> shutdown salmon and
> steelhead fishing, tear out dams, yet make no waves
> when it comes to
> commercial decimation of fish runs? I don't get
> that one.
>
>
=====
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