Bruce,

I don't have a ton of time right now go into depth I will have more time tomorrow but the answer is sometimes they hurt and sometimes they don't have an negative impact. I know some systems where hatchery smolts are dumped into the system with no method for collecting them as adults and they are left to intermingle with wild fish. I would say that is a hurt. But there are others where they are so isolated by run timing and maturation timing and collection facilities where their impact is very minimal so why should we mess with those "good" hatcheries.

I won't go so far as to say that hatcheries help wild fish, but if someone can show me the science I wll gladly look at it and admit if I am wrong.

Would it surprise you that the HSRG found that the majority of the hatcheries they talked to didn't have stated goals or objectives like are called for in the WSP? Hatcheries and wild fish can exist together they just need to be done right.

JJ