Hatcheries do not help, they harm

The Sunday commentary by Bob Heirman, “The Golden Age of Steelheading,” completely missed the mark. His assertion that hatcheries are responsible for the once excellent fishing found in our state represents the kind of thinking that has brought our Puget Sound wild steelhead to the brink of extinction. The state’s stocking numbers clearly show massive increases in plants of hatchery steelhead in the last three decades, yet runs continue to be pitifully small. Hatchery fish experience such poor survival at sea that in Puget Sound, 1 percent of fish returning as adults would be considered a banner year. Compare that with marine survival that commonly fluctuates between 5 and 25 percent in wild populations and you can see that hatchery programs are simply a waste of taxpayer dollars.

Hatcheries will not bring the fishing back to what it once was and in all likelihood are impeding the ability of our wild fish to survive in the face of massive population growth in the region, decades of poor timber practices, overfishing and climate change. Mr. Heirman couldn’t be more out of touch with the scientific reality of salmon and steelhead in our region. I hope your readers will understand that the steps being taken to phase out certain hatchery programs are not only necessary for the recovery of wild steelhead in our area, but also federally mandated by the Endangered Species Act.

Will Atlas

Seattle