Cloning is interesting but I think the thing that concerns me about it is this...

The thing that makes a species like steelhead so hearty is genetic diversity. Wouldn't cloning steelhead, and their subsequent introduction into the wild, diminish genetic diversity??

Now, if you are a talking a DNA library, where you take genetic material from every available fish and archive it according to system...I'm interested.

I see it mainly as an 'all else has failed' measure...I would certainly disapprove of introduction of cloned steelhead into a river with healthy wild populations...

DanS makes a good point...for example, human clones have existed forever and walk among us every day. Ever known a set of identical twins? Each a perfect genetic copy of the other and yet somehow retain a uniqueness and individuality in spite of their DNA... (edit: next time I'll read your whole post Dan )

Good topic Cowfish....didn't we discuss this a little last year?