In an effort to improve its hatchery programs, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services Pacific Region Fisheries Program is beginning a three-year review of the 21 Columbia River Basin salmon hatcheries it owns or operates.
"Our goal is to ensure that our hatcheries are operated on the best scientific principles and contribute to sustainable fisheries and the recovery of naturally spawning populations of salmon," said Dan Diggs, Assistant Regional Director of the regional fisheries program.
The review will begin in early October with the Warm Springs National Fish Hatchery on the Warm Springs River. A draft report on the hatchery is expected to be available for public comment in January 2006. Information about this project can be found on the USFWS Columbia River Basin Hatchery Review Project website at: http://pacific.fws.gov/fisheries/hatcheryreview
The Services internal review will in many ways resemble the recent and successful Puget Sound and Coastal Washington Hatchery Reform Project ( http://www.hatcheryreform.org). A Hatchery Review Team, comprised of Service and other federal scientists, will review briefing materials, conduct field tours and meet with hatchery managers, co-managers and stakeholders to get a clear understanding of the goals for and status of each wild and hatchery stock, its associated habitat and management strategies. The Review Team will then apply the scientific framework and hatchery review tools developed during the western Washington review to create reform recommendations for each hatchery program.
Over the past five years, a systematic review of state, tribal and federal salmon and steelhead hatchery programs in western Washington has been underway in an attempt to address these harvest and conservation issues. The Puget Sound and Coastal Washington Scientific Review Group released its recommendations in May 2004. An internal Service working group developed recommendations for a counterpart process for Service owned and operated hatchery programs in the Columbia River Basin to ensure that Service programs meet current and future fishery and conservation needs of salmonid populations in the Columbia River Basin.
We have adopted the principles and goals statements from the western Washington reform process, with slight modifications. Principles: (1) Every hatchery stock and program must have well-defined goals in terms of desired benefits and purpose; (2) Hatchery programs must be scientifically defensible; (3) Hatchery programs must respond adaptively to new information. Goals: (1) Establish the scientific foundations for National Fish Hatcheries and cooperative programs; (2) Conserve genetic resources for salmonid species; (3) Assist with the recovery of naturally spawning populations; (4) Provide for sustainable fisheries; (5) Conduct scientific research; (6) Improve quality and cost effectiveness of hatchery programs.
We propose to conduct this review process in coordination with fisheries co-managers in the Columbia River Basin, consistent with ongoing management processes including the U.S. v Oregon proceeding, the protection and mitigation activities of the Northwest Power Planning and Conservation Council (NWPCC) and the Endangered Species Act processes of NOAA Fisheries. We believe this proposed review process will better prepare and position our hatchery programs for integration into NWPCC sub-basin and regional strategies and the salmon recovery plans under preparation by NOAA Fisheries.
