An Overview of Risks, Benefits and Best Management Practices in Pacific Northwest Salmon and Steelhead Hatchery Programs

State and federal agencies in the Pacific Northwest, USA, annually release millions of hatchery salmon and steelhead into public waters.  These hatchery programs are intended to provide fishery and conservation benefits but can pose risks to wild fish populations.  Intended benefits include commercial, recreational and tribal fisheries in the ocean and regional rivers.  Conservation benefits include reintroductions where historic populations are extinct and “safety-net” programs that maintain imperiled populations. However, some supposed benefits, particularly where hatchery fish “supplement” wild populations, remain controversial. Hatchery programs pose risks to wild fish when interbreeding decreases population fitness, or when the presence of hatchery fish, or hatchery facilities, affects how wild fish interact with their environment or with other species. Factors that particularly influence risk are the relative abundance and the relative genetic and life history similarity of hatchery and wild fish. Agencies and tribes in the Pacific Northwest are exploring management strategies that lower the risks and optimize the benefits of hatchery programs.  This presentation will explore some of the factors contributing to risks, and review some of the strategies and guiding principles used in the Pacific Northwest for reducing risks and optimizing benefits.