U
Upnorth
New member
I don’t often read this form. But the last conversation about King Salmon has peaked my interest. Many of the things you said in here or absolutely spot on, but there’s so many things that were not discussed and it seems nobody wants to address the issues, of predation. On the average an adult Sealion Will kill 7 salmon a day, and a seal will do the same. Also killer whales, They have two major pods K and J, one eat sea lion as their main course, but the other pod has exclusively switched to Salmon. Both these predators numbers have increased tremendously. Now the only way to combat the rising amount of predation of the adult salmon would be increase the amount of salmon in the ocean. The only way to do that is hatcheries. If you have 100 wild Fish, a sea lion eats 50 of then 100 % is wild Fish, but if you have 50 wild Fish, and 50 hatchery fish. Then a sea lion more than likely by statistics will have only killed 25 wild Fish. This topic, does not just relate to adult fish. Predation, in the juvenile fish is out of control. There are millions of cormorants, turns,(birds in general) plus especially in the Columbia system, Pike minnows, Walleye,, and so on. That prey on salmon smolts, it is out of control. Once again if hatcheries produce Smolts then the wild Juvenile salmon has a much better chance of making it back to the ocean and back to the river. There are many studies, on predation of many species. The results are not being used and not being discussed in the whole big picture. We need to have all the study groups within the ODFW, Held accountable for the results, The answer is not. quit fishing or just catch and release.
In California 30 years ago the chinook salmon was on the brink of extinction in their river systems. Now California is one of the larger producers of chinook salmon. The state of Washington has almost 3 times the amount of salmon returning to the rivers than they do in Oregon. Back in the late 70s they took the technology of chinook salmon hatcheries to Lake Michigan, and now lake Michigan is one of the most successful chinook salmon fisheries in the United States. In Oregon in the 70s we adapted a wild fish policy, unfortunately it has not been updated or re-focused since then. Oregon used to be the leader and Salmon technology. Now we have became a large petri dish, to study and focus on whatever the biologists have deemed necessary for their own outcome. 90% of the studies from the biologist are based on monies from Federal grants. Studies used to be in the span of 7 years, now they have increased most studies up to 12 and some 14 years. We are studying ourselves to death, while salmon population Declines.
We need to hold ODFW accountable for their actions. Once again, not to fish, catch and release, and shutting all the hatcheries, is not the solution. Studying until the last fish is gone, is not the solution. The solution is, accountability, action, and working together, for an end RESULT.
In California 30 years ago the chinook salmon was on the brink of extinction in their river systems. Now California is one of the larger producers of chinook salmon. The state of Washington has almost 3 times the amount of salmon returning to the rivers than they do in Oregon. Back in the late 70s they took the technology of chinook salmon hatcheries to Lake Michigan, and now lake Michigan is one of the most successful chinook salmon fisheries in the United States. In Oregon in the 70s we adapted a wild fish policy, unfortunately it has not been updated or re-focused since then. Oregon used to be the leader and Salmon technology. Now we have became a large petri dish, to study and focus on whatever the biologists have deemed necessary for their own outcome. 90% of the studies from the biologist are based on monies from Federal grants. Studies used to be in the span of 7 years, now they have increased most studies up to 12 and some 14 years. We are studying ourselves to death, while salmon population Declines.
We need to hold ODFW accountable for their actions. Once again, not to fish, catch and release, and shutting all the hatcheries, is not the solution. Studying until the last fish is gone, is not the solution. The solution is, accountability, action, and working together, for an end RESULT.
Jeebus.
