I appreciate the opportunity to address this workshop. I feel
the workshop is especially timely because of the recent activities
by NMFS to address ESA concerns, and because it is particularly
relevant to the activities of the State of Washington and the
Indian tribes in their efforts to recover wild salmon stocks.
For the last several years, the tribes and State have been involved
in an effort referred to as the Wild Stock Restoration Initiative.
One of the activities under this initiative has been the successful
development of the Salmon and Steelhead Stock Inventory for the
State of Washington. We are currently undertaking the development
of recovery plans for all "critical" stocks identified
in the inventory. We are also just beginning work on a statewide
salmon habitat inventory, and for about the past year, we have
been working on the development of a Wild Salmonid Policy for
Washington State. The framework of this policy includes habitat
restoration and conservation, harvest management, and hatchery
programs, but also includes genetic conservation. One major concern
within genetic conservation is the effect of straying of genetically
dissimilar hatchery fish into wild populations, and how and when
this straying should be limited.
I would like to focus on two questions being addressed by the
workshop panel. The first is, How do the effects of straying
depend on genetic differences between hatchery and natural populations,
and how can these differences be measured? In developing a Wild
Salmonid Policy, we have explored several alternatives to these
questions in our deliberations. One is to limit the amount of
straying that would be permissible based on the amount of genetic
dissimilarity between the hatchery population and the natural
populations receiving hatchery strays. The key problem, however,
is how to measure the genetic differences between hatchery stocks
and natural populations. How do we measure differences in characteristics
that are important in predicting the effects that interbreeding
will have on natural populations? The approach we have taken
is that if hatchery and natural populations are genetically dissimilar,
then the amount of allowable straying should be very small or
none at all. If the hatchery and natural populations are similar,
then some level of straying can be allowed. We are uncertain,
however, how to predict what effects that a particular amount
of straying would have and how to measure genetic differences
between hatchery and natural populations. How do measurable genetic
differences, allozyme frequency differences, for example, relate
to fish size, fecundity, or more importantly, to productivity
and survival? How do genetic interactions between non-native
hatchery fish and natural spawners affect the potential for the
future productivity of the resource?
The second important question is, What research should be undertaken to resolve the uncertainties of this issue? The effects of straying of non-native hatchery fish into natural populations are uncertain, and I think it is unlikely a consensus of opinion exists on the subject in the scientific community. State and tribal agencies can develop a Wild Salmonid Policy for genetic conservation that is based on population genetics theory and our best scientific opinions, but unless we have direct empirical evidence that the expected genetic consequences are actually taking place, we are not going to have much luck in getting these policies adopted. Some of the possible restrictions on levels of straying that we have considered could make major changes in how hatchery fish are produced in the State of Washington. I can envision some scenarios that would cause us to reduce radically or to alter hatchery production in Puget Sound. It will not be easy to sell a policy that might reduce hatchery production by 60-70%, unless there is good evidence to show that it is necessary to prevent the loss of future sustainable productivity. The question the State and tribal managers will ultimately be most concerned about is, How does this policy affect the ability of the fish resource to produce harvest in the future?