2 things. 1 the only way augmented hatchery production will work is if hatcheries are able to meet their egg take needs for their current program AS WELL AS meet the additional needs to produce more fish. This is unfortunately not always the case. Many hatcheries are already barely making take for certain programs, and this will certainly limit augmentation into the future. 2nd thing, pumping out more hatchery fish DOES NOT correlate directly to more fishing opportunity. Our mixed stock fisheries are dependent upon wild encounters NOT the number of hatchery surplus available to harvest. Because of this our quotas and time on the water in mixed stock areas will still be limited to the SAME amount we have now based on what our allowable wild impacts are. We MIGHT see more opportunity in terminal areas with an increase in hatchery production, but that is a big MIGHT. We have to get agreement on the other side of the aisle any time we want to open new or expanded fisheries, and of late it seems like we have not been able to meet agreeable terms, speaking generally.
I don't know very much about egg take goals these days and how often or not they are met. I do know those goals are far lower than they used to be, due to hatchery affects on wild fish, and any surplus eggs are destroyed over the achieved goals. Also hatchery facility funding and production capacities have been substantially cut over the years. My take is if food is needed now for these Orcus to survive they will come from the resident blackmouth programs that currently exist for the sole purpose recreational/tribal harvest. These programs have also been cut over the years. Open winter seasons have been consistent and if more fish are produced, I can see increased success per rod hr. time regardless of wild encounters. I am disappointed that this draft report fails to emphasize quick production NOW! IMO it will do little to help the current Orca population decline.
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