The conditions that have led to a population explosion of salmon in the North Pacific, could also be factors in a perfect storm to decimate wild salmon species, according to new research from Simon Fraser University and University of Washington scientists.
The research team found that 750 million pink, chum and sockeye returned to their freshwater homes to spawn in 2005, the highest number recorded since scientists started counting in the 1950s. However, they also found that at least 20 per cent of those adult salmon were from hatcheries.
Randall Peterman, an SFU professor and Canada Research Chair in Fisheries Risk Assessment and Management, said stronger hatchery salmon populations now means they might be able to out-compete their wild cousins for food and resources in the future.
"The ocean is always changing, and current favourable ecological conditions for salmon will not last indefinitely," warned Peterman in an SFU press release. "Unless international agreements are developed to manage hatchery production levels across nations, hatchery salmon may dominate in the North Pacific, when ocean conditions deteriorate."
Colleen Kimmett reports for The Tyee.
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Dr Alexander
2 years ago
Stop the Press!
Wasn't "Global Warming" supposed to be the demise of the wild salmon?
With respect to availability of harvestable fish-based protein, then Global Warming is a good thing.
Seriously folks, we went through this wild vs hatchery business over ten years ago. A bunch of DFO hatcheries were shut down in BC already.
As per the US, Japanese and Russian hatcheries, whatcha gonna do?
Dr Alexander
2 years ago
Colleen, you missed a point
You mentioned that this study was done by SFU and U Wash scientists.
You missed mentioning that the principal author of the study was a scientist working for Natural Resources Consultants, a consulting company based out of Seattle and was funding by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
Jeffrey J.
2 years ago
Salmon Without Rivers
Over the long term, hatchery fish will not replace wild salmon. They are too restricted in their gene pool and are no match for the nearly unlimited challenges of the ocean.
For those interested in understanding this proven science, the answer lies in the comprehensive Salmon Without Rivers, penned by well respected fisheries biologist James Lichatowich.
http://www.wildsalmoncenter.org/pubs/translated_lichatowich_intro.php
Read it. You be the judge.
Great coverage.
Sam Salmon
2 years ago
Lotsa Politics
So much politics here it's hard to know where to start.
HawkEyes
2 years ago
Is it what it seems to be?
I agree with Jeffrey J. that hatchery fish cannot replace wild stock; look forward to the link.
IMHO, it is aggrevating when hatchery raised stock, including sturgeon, are promoted as the answer for lack of responsibe stewardship.
Another aggrevating point is this assumption that because the numbers are up, conditions are favorable.
It is hardly out of the realm of reality that salmon are aware of how much more difficult their survival will become and that they are increasing their numbers in response to a future occurence, such as an earthquake next year...
blackie
2 years ago
old news
Dr. Alexander is right, this has been thrashed around for more than a decade. I can remember Dr. Carl Walters at UBC telling me (about 15 years ago) that the major problem with the growing volumes of hatchery fish was the impact of harvesting levels on the wild stocks.
If DFO sets a harvest level based on total numbers of fish, and 75% of those fish are hatchery-origin, the odds are pretty good that some small wild stocks would get wiped out.
Look to "holier-than-thou" Alaska and it's near-total reliance on "ranched" fish (a nice euphemism for hatchery fish I guess) to keep their numbers high. Apparently 75% of the commercial catch in Alaska is now hatchery-origin. And there are fears that some of these "ranched" fish are successfully displacing wild stocks in some rivers -- further eroding the genetic diversity of the wild stocks.
Interesting debate -- but I'm still waiting for someone to blame it all on the fish farms. Where's Alexandra Morton these days? Out trying to manufacture another extinction theory maybe?