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WA State Slashes Hatcheries

7K views 125 replies 40 participants last post by  Matt Paluch 
#1 ·
Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife faces 15% budget cuts - salmon and trout hatcheries to close
News

by
editorial staff
-
14 August 2020
"Why cut something that's going to generate sales tax?". State faces large cuts to salmon and trout production.
The Lens reports that the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is facing deep cuts to its hatchery capacities, mandated by Governor Jay Inslee.
The Governor's Office of Financial Management provided budget development instructions to state agencies, asking them to identify 15 per-cent reduction - around USD 24 million in spending cuts - in State General Fund. For WDFW, those reductions include:
USD 5.2 million slashed from salmon and steelhead hatchery production as well as USD 2 million from trout hatchery production.
"Under the proposed budget reduction plan, six salmon and steelhead hatcheries would be closed, while four trout hatcheries would be closed. The result would be a 7.2 per-cent and 12.3 per-cent reduction in statewide salmon and trout production, respectively. As part of the budget cuts, hatchery maintenance and repairs for critical infrastructure would be reduced by 32 percent," wrote The Lens.
The publication reported that Commissioner Dave Graybill said fewer fishing opportunities would "reduce our ability to sell licenses when we reduce the amount of fish being produced both inland and on Puget Sound and the coast. Wherever these occur it's going to create ill will."
Commissioner Don McIsaac asked, "why cut something that's going to generate sales tax?"
"The lack of sales tax is why we're in this problem. (We) cut $2 million and then cut another $5 million because of the impacts to the state on sales tax," added McIsaac.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife operates dozens of fish hatcheries around the state with fish raised for sport fishing as well as commercial fishing.
 
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#80 ·
Steelhead hatcheries except for a few instances are pretty much a thing of the past as it is now anyway in the Puget Sound area.
If you wish salmon hatcheries to be gone, either you don’t enjoy fishing for salmon in Washington or will enjoy not doing so in the future.
SF
 
#83 ·
Been listening to some John McMillan podcasts recently (steelhead biologist for TU on the OP). He has some interesting thoughts on hatcheries. Some rivers are so depleted of wild steelhead that they need the hatcheries in order to have any fish. And some have wild populations that are hurt by hatchery production. Knowing how much WA spends on hatcheries, the money spent on hatcheries in rivers with good populations of wild fish would be better spent on creating better habitat for the wild fish. While the rivers with depleted wild runs can operate hatcheries in order to maintain a fishery.

I don't know a ton about hatcheries personally, but what he's saying is certainly interesting.

 
#94 ·
I wonder if salmon hatcheries are really all that good for the salmon populations of particular rivers in any case. We're probably raising fish that are adapted to hatchery conditions, changing their genetics over time and contaminating the genetics of the wild population making them less able to succeed in the natural non hatchery environment. So might not be so bad in the long run.

 
#105 ·
We could certainly stop hatchery salmon production in some rivers but I doubt the wild fish are going to magically rebound to historic or large fishable numbers.
We could enjoy watching what is left of them.
SF
 
#114 ·
People taking advantage of help provided by the government pisses off people who’s own standards wouldn’t allow it. It’s the same thing with unemployment compensation, SNAP benefits, long term or permanent disability, aid to foreign countries, illegal immigration. These are wrought with fraud and corruption. Some people just can’t help themselves.
 
#116 ·
I'm not keen on going off topic, but a system that pays more for not working than a person earns while working is seriously flawed. There was a time when unemployment compensation was intended to tide a person over a period of unemployment while they looked for another job. Plenty of culpability, agencies that facilitate this screw up and unemployed workers who exploit it.
Another way to look at this is why are wages so low that an emergency UI package meant to get people through a pandemic where work has been temporarily suspended pays them more? Some of the problem might be companies don't pay their workers a livable wage.
 
#125 ·
Back in the 50’s the annual steelhead catch was about 50k. Hatcheries were introduced so we could catch even more fish. The population has declined steadily ever since. Native fish are bigger and reproduce better. The State has pushed the hatcheries but now it seems they finally understand that the salmon and steelhead do a better job when given the proper habitat. It took decades to screw it up. It won’t come back overnight.
 
#126 ·
Back in the 50's the annual steelhead catch was about 50k. Hatcheries were introduced so we could catch even more fish. The population has declined steadily ever since. Native fish are bigger and reproduce better. The State has pushed the hatcheries but now it seems they finally understand that the salmon and steelhead do a better job when given the proper habitat. It took decades to screw it up. It won't come back overnight.
You nailed it in my opinion. It is also going to be a difficult process to reverse the degradation of ocean habitat caused by climate change. Fortunately, some species seem to be doing better with the warmer conditions. Others will be lucky to endure much longer, at least at this latitude.
 
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