The recent closure highlights of the Pacific Salmon fisheries in California has been blamed on two major factors: (1) ocean conditions and (2) hatchery fish. The former is not easily addressed, the later is.
Recent studies indicate that as much of 90% of the California salmon are from hatcheries. Studies have stated that these fish lack the genetic diversity necessary to deal with the natural changes in the marine environment.
Keep in mind that hatcheries are simply fish farms. When you hear the endless promotion of wild pacific salmon when up to 70% of Alaskan and 90% of California "wild" salmon are genetically selected and farmed raised hatchery fish it makes you question the integrity of the wild capture fisheries industry and their regulators.
Alaska claims it does not permit fish farms in its waters, yet its state supported hatchery (read fish farm) program is one of the largest.
The time has come to stop the nonsense and be honest with the consumer. Tax dollars should not be wasted on supporting an ecologically unsupportable industry. Let's leave wild salmon in the sea and manage aquacultured salmon operations so that they are safe and environmentally responsible.
What are your thoughts on water management in California? Seems to me that the dams and aqueducts diverting water from the rivers and streams while destroying the salmon's habitat is the main issue here. These are the same two forces that killed off the East Coast Atlantic salmon during the days of the Industrial Revolution. It's correct that the true wild salmon are having to compete against the hatchery fish, but it is not the toughest of competition considering they do not possess the same natural instincts and survival skills as the fish which were hatched in the rivers. While pumping the rivers full of genetically homogeneous fish is concerning, the bigger issue here is state water management. Rotten politics and policies benefiting big agriculture are the main threat to wild salmon on the Califronia coast; always have been, always will be.
ReplyDeleteOne of the historical rationales for the west coast salmon hatchery programs has been to replace fish populations compromised by changes to the waterways caused by dams and the such. I think it is essential that all water projects that effect fish habitats be designed to maintain these habitats which is certainly not happening now.
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