> And then there
> are habitat issues: rivers with dams without efficient up and DOWN stream
> passage do not bode well for anadromous fish which are supposed
> to spawn more
> than once in a lifetime. If a shad spawns once (takes a one way
> trip up over a
> dam and can't get out), instead of 5 or 8 times then a tremendous
> amount of lifetime egg production is lost.
Kinda gets back to my question about the real goal of these hatcheries. A
primary goal of a restoration facility should be to put itself out of
business at some point in the future. "Restoration" refers to establishing
a self-sustaining natural population. Otherwise it's either an enhancement
facility for fishers, or a mitigation facility to replace lost natural
spawning potential. If a hatchery touts itself as a restoration facility
but has no plans for ceasing operations at some future date, they're being
less than truthful or they're poor planners. Good resource management
depends on good science and planning. This includes setting goals, planning
for periodic evaluation, and defining the evaluation criteria used to
determine whether those goals are attained.
-- Jay DeLong Olympia, WA
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