Lawmakers: Hatchery Salmon Are Not Wild

WASHINGTON, DC, May 21, 2004 (ENS) - More than 70 members of the House of Representatives from both sides of the aisle joined Congressman Mike Thompson, a California Democrat, in asking NOAA Fisheries to abandon its proposed policy to include hatchery fish when deciding federal protections for wild salmon. The lawmakers say the policy could remove some species from the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

Representatives warn that such a policy change is without scientific support and should not be made before a formal public review is conducted.

In the letter to NOAA Administrator Conrad Lautenbacher, undersecretary for oceans and atmosphere, the legislators cite NOAA Fisheries' own scientists' conclusions that "counting hatchery fish is no way to judge the health of wild salmon runs."

In addition, numerous independent scientists have agreed that this policy change could prove devastating to wild salmon populations and hopes for their long-term recovery.

Presently 25 species of Pacific salmon are listed as either endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Four other salmon species are candidates for listing.

The fishing industry expressed support for the lawmakers' move. "The Endangered Species Act was intended to protect and restore species in the wild, not in concrete tanks," said Glen Spain, Northwest regional director for the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations, a fishing industry trade association.

"A policy that lumps hatchery fish and wild fish together under the ESA would give habitat destroyers a free pass, so long as more fish can be artificially produced," said Spain. "Calling that any kind of progress toward 'recovery' flies in the face of 100 years of conservation biology as well as common sense."

The commercial and sportfishing industries have endured the loss of more than 35,000 jobs over the past few years while watching salmon numbers in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and California dwindle to less than 10 percent of their historical numbers.

"Representative Thompson and his colleagues have shown real leadership to ensure that our salmon and the communities that depend upon them are not harmed by potentially misguided political maneuvering," said Liz Hamilton, executive director NW Sportfishing Industry Association.

"When you protect our salmon, you protect our salmon dependent jobs here in the Pacific Northwest, a region that cannot afford to lose any more jobs."

Conservation groups also supported the lawmakers in their request to NOAA. "The scientific community is telling us that a policy combining hatchery fish and wild fish would jeopardize the work that we've been doing to ensure that wild salmon make a long-term recovery," said Jeff Curtis, Western conservation director for Trout Unlimited.

"Salmon cannot afford any more agency blunders. We must finally do what is right for wild salmon and leave the politics at the door."