Kirt Hughes Region 6 - Fish Program Manager
Habitat Hatcheries Harvest
Clean Water Act Shorelines Harvest Hydro Habitat Forest Practices Non-regulatory Programs Water Supply & Conservation Growth Management Act Habitat Protection & Restoration Projects
Hatcheries in Washington
Harvest
Aligning Hatcheries and Harvest Hatcheries are a tool; a means to an end Help to achieve conservation objectives Provide mitigation for lost habitat, etc. Support sustainable fisheries Harvest of hatchery fish Cultural, Social and Economic benefits Broodstock management Legal requirements
Hatcheries and their programs are part the watershed and must meet or exceed certain criteria. Hatcheries must meet environmental standards Hatchery reform goals (PNI) reduces hatchery fish impacts on wild fish populations Wild fish drive the genetics of entire system natural and hatchery fish
Genetically Integrated or Segregated Broodstocks Integrated Goal: 1 population, 2 environments Segregated Goal: 2 populations, 2 environments Hatchery Wild Hatchery Wild Integrated Segregated
Goal & Objectives for Hatchery Programs What are they? Hatchery programs can increase abundance, diversity, spatial distribution, and long-term productivity of natural populations, and provide fishery related benefits. Conservation Programs benefit natural production goals Harvest Programs enhance harvest opportunities while meeting watershed specific goals for wild populations.
Hatcheries are a tool Hatcheries are part of the ecosystem in which they operate; the supporting natural habitat is of critical importance. Managed with appropriate goals a hatchery program represents the highest likelihood for success in a watershed. A hatchery program either enhances natural spawning or are independent. A successful hatchery program has more benefits than risks. Adaptive management improves hatchery management.
Adipose fin Clip Coded-wire tags CWT Otolith thermal marking
Adipose fin Clip Enables a fast, visual indicator of fish origin Enables possibility of mark-selective fisheries Enables spawning ground surveys to identify natural and hatchery proportions on the spawning grounds
Coded-wire tags CWT Can be coded for any size production group, from a single tray of eggs to an entire facility production Currently sampled in most North Pacific fisheries A good indicator of fisheries contribution rates Used as an indicator for spawning ground contribution rates Also used to index naturally produced juveniles for watershed production estimates
Otolith thermal marking Allows marking of fish smaller than by any other means Can be coded for any size production group, from a single tray of eggs to an entire facility production Enables spawning ground surveys to identify natural and hatchery proportions on the spawning grounds
Great tool for identification of wild versus hatchery origin fish on the spawning grounds Essential tool for hatchery reform implementation including integrating hatchery and wild stock programs Can be used to enhance recreational and commercial fishing while protecting naturally spawning stocks
Integral part of hatchery reform and broodstock management Spawning ground survey evaluation of integrated and segregated programs Mark selective - In Washington, fisheries were first implement for: Steelhead in the 1980 s Coho in the 1990 s Chinook in the 2000 s
Tools available to Harvest Genetic analyses for in-season management Mass Marking Internal marking (e.g. Otolith and CWT ) External marking visual identification of hatchery fish Selective Fisheries Mark selective Selective for time, area, and manner In-season stock identification Select area fisheries
Great for identification of wild versus hatchery origin fish on the spawning grounds Essential for hatchery reform implementation including integrating hatchery and wild stock programs Can be used to enhance recreational and commercial fishing while protecting naturally spawning stocks
Help achieve ESA compliance, and meet conservation and harvest goals. Rewards Sustainable fisheries - Abundant hatchery fish are basis for fisheries - Contribute to hatchery reform Risk Selective fisheries have little or no historical baseline for stock impacts
Link between harvest and hatchery reform Reduce ratio of hatchery fish on spawning grounds Ensure wild fish drive genetics of the natural population Increase harvest of hatchery fish Reduce harvest of natural fish
Recovery of fish populations. Conservation mandate Provide fisheries. Sustainable Predictable