U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Sacramento Fish & Wildlife Office
Comprehensive Assessment & Monitoring Program
(CAMP)
Glossary
Hatchery Returns:
A monitoring method that counts the number of natural and hatchery-produced adult fish entering a fish hatchery.
The number of naturally produced fish that enter hatcheries is added to the estimated number of fish that naturally spawn in a river to estimate the total in-river run for a particular watershed.
Clipping fin of hatchery-raised fish
Fisheries biologists routinely mark hatchery fish by clipping the adipose fin. The adipose fin is a small fleshy fin on the back, just in front of the caudal (tail) fin. Marking juvenile hatchery fish provides an ability to discriminate between wild (unmarked) and hatchery (marked) fish when surveys of adult fish are made.
Opens in a new window or tab.