Misclipped Hatchery Fish

[wildweeds]

I'm positive it was salmon,Mostly sure it was pink salmon,and about 1/4 sure it was on kodiak.And almost certain they took eggs and sperm from one system and planted it natural in the diminished system,left it alone for 5 years and then managed from there.

I think I've heard about what your talking about. Not sure it was salmon or steelhead though. When you find out let us know.

[ICEMAN]

Wildweeds, up there don't they let the rivers fill up with spawners before allowing any river netting?

Alaska overharvests their fish and ours.

Thanks Wildweeds.

WSU, if the fish are returning to rivers......we are talking rivers here arent we? How do they over harvest WA fish in Alaska rivers?

[snowpack]

Wildweeds, up there don't they let the rivers fill up with spawners before allowing any river netting?

Alaska overharvests their fish and ours.

Thanks Wildweeds.

WSU, if the fish are returning to rivers......we are talking rivers here arent we? How do they over harvest WA fish in Alaska rivers?

Only a fraction of the fish return, large percentage are caught by the fleet.  Most Washington salmon go to Alaska to grow before returning.  I think most of the salmon off the Washington coast are actually Idaho salmon and California salmon. 

[ICEMAN]

We understand that. I thought we were all talking about river fish...

[tmike]

I think he means fish intercepted in the salt headed for Washington rivers.

[ICEMAN]

Yeah, i understand that for sure....

Regulating the health of a fishery sounds pretty simple to me. I would close all fishing in the salt. Open salt fishing only within so many miles of said river once it was at capacity. Then close it. Open it. close it...all based upon the river condition. If the river can take more spawners, close the fishery and let them in. If the river is pretty full of spawners, open the adjoining area to fishing.

[GurrCentral]

I think he means fish intercepted in the salt headed for Washington rivers.

 

[wildweeds]

My uncle told me in certain situations they drag a small mesh net across the whole river so as to keep anymore from running up,mainly used in the managment of the reds as the fry of the reds live in the lake nursery,an overstocked nursery is subject to disease and die off as it can't support overpopulation.

Wildweeds, up there don't they let the rivers fill up with spawners before allowing any river netting?

Alaska overharvests their fish and ours.

Thanks Wildweeds.

WSU, if the fish are returning to rivers......we are talking rivers here arent we? How do they over harvest WA fish in Alaska rivers?

[j_h_nimrod]

Off topic but I can't help but put in my    Alaska has a lot more in-season management than most places and manages it's fisheries resources very well.  Alaska fisheries, as well as most other states' commercial and sport fisheries, are based on quotas and allotments.  If AK wanted to they could wipe out all the lower fisheries/fish, including Canada, that is why the fleet only fishes certain areas and species in very controlled fisheries. AK closes down fisheries all the time based on escapement, poor runs/returns are managed to help bring them back to sustainability. As far as I remember there were no groundbreaking river closures to help a stock recover, a lot of stocks were decimated back in the 50s and 60s and recovery efforts included area restrictions/closures, hatchery supplementation, and enhancement efforts (in-stream incubation, spawning channels, etc).

Now back on topic. As far as clipping goes it is pretty well done but when you are clipping hundreds of millions of fish each year there is bound to be some error. Hand clipping is pretty good but prone to human error while mechanical clipping has its own issues. I think it is a waste of time and effort though, the whole idea that there is a supposedly superior wild, untainted stock is complete garbage. Fish have been intensively cultured in this country for well over a hundred years and there were no, or very little, genetic controls until relatively recently. 

Nice fish, bummer you had to release it. Hopefully it will end up spawning naturally or in a hatchery to spread those genes.

[Bullkllr]

Yeah, i understand that for sure....

Regulating the health of a fishery sounds pretty simple to me. I would close all fishing in the salt. Open salt fishing only within so many miles of said river once it was at capacity. Then close it. Open it. close it...all based upon the river condition. If the river can take more spawners, close the fishery and let them in. If the river is pretty full of spawners, open the adjoining area to fishing.

If only it were that simple. Problem is almost all fisheries decisions are based on politics and big business more than science or even common sense. Always have been- and that has gotten us where we are today.

 Washington State could close all salt water, but for it to have any effect BC and Alaska would have to follow suit. I'll look for data- but for Columbia and WA coastal chinook for example- I believe the  big majority of the harvest occurs in BC and Alaska. Throw in tribes, commercials, sporties...Problem is everyone demands their piece of the pie.

EDIT: I concur that most current management is needlessly complicated, inefficient, and in the end not very effective.

[TheHunt]

Exactly...  Many of our fish are picked up by the fleets