Browsing through the WDFW releases I came across this one which was posted today. http://www.wa.gov/wdfw/do/newreal/mar1201a.htm

The article pretty much states that the WDFW will planting more then normal tripliods this year and next year to mitigate for declining steelhead and salmon returns. Shouldn't the WDFW being putting this money into restoration and enhancement programs and not just dumping more pellet fed hatchery trout into put and take lakes??

Sometimes you have to ask yourself, "What the Hell?"


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Ryan S. Petzold
aka
Sparkey and/or Special

[This message has been edited by RPetzold (edited 03-12-2001).]

I'm glad they're doing this. I like to catch fish. I don't care if it's salmon, steelhead, sturgeon, trout, halibut or bass. With salmon and steelhead declining, an alternative is needed. Planting large trout will provide an alternative. No where in that article does it state that they are cutting funding to salmon/steelhead restoration. Putting more money into restoration is just a waste until we get the nets out. I don't care how pristine the habitat is, if the fish can't get through the nets it doesn't matter. Alaska is a prime example of this. Until the runs are back up to a safe number, I'm glad the state is providing us with another fishery.

I dont see this as giving up on steelhead. I think it is a plan to lesson the pressure on the declining runs. These big fish draw a lot of attention, and used as an option to draw pressure off the struggling runs, could actuall help them.

If the DFW wanted to reduce the pressure on steelhead they could go to C&R of all natives on all rivers. Their reasoning for maintaining kill seasons is that there are too many people who want to take one home. If they wanted to reduce fishing pressure on steelhead they could let those losers fish the put and take lakes.

Triploids are NOT an alternative to steelhead. Actually, triploids are a joke, whaaaa??? Let me explain, you have a fish that's growth is limitless and what happens? Well, a bunch of Johhny come lately Ford Fender and worm toting lake boys come in and catch them when they are a foot long. Soon the put and take lake gets "fished out" and sure, maybe a few of the triploids don't get caught and get big, but trout in lakes take a helluva lot longer to grow in relation to an ocean-fed steelie. Don't get me wrong, triploids can make for an excellent trophy fishery, but let them grow or plant 'em bigger to start with. The state needs to put money into seagoing salmonids, hatchery trout for put and take lakes, triploids inclusive, are surely not headed for ESA listings. Peace

I don't think you've got the right read on this.

First, there is no mention of "mitigation" which is cause and effect--the enhancement of one fishery directly because of the loss of another. There simply following there mandate to provide additional fishing opportunities.

Second, if anything, this is "mitigation" for ESA listing, which is the Feds taking opportunities completely off the table. Because of wild/hatchery fish interactions, you can't necessarily replace wild ESA fish in a basin with hatchery fish and start fishing. Recovery of ESA fish is painful because it usually means sporties, commercials, developers, etc. have more stringent restrictions put on them all until the stock is recovered.

This is not giving up on steelhead; I think its an issue of equity and dollars. ESA has put the kabash on many Puget Sound (Puget Sound chinook) and Columbia basin streams (several stocks). And the money to enhance the hatchery runs on all of these streams would cost a hell of a lot more than dumping 7,000 triploids in area lakes throughout the state.

I'd personally love it if WDFW stuck the extra money into improving hatchery runs on the Snohomish basin, but what about folks around the rest of the State? You could probably argue that a stream like the Sky provides loads of fishing opportunity because its centrally located close to the population hub in the State, but its still not spreading the wealth geographically. Whether this is a strong arguement or not, I'm not sure. Probably yes for you and me, but perhaps not for someone from Eastern WA.

Finally, if the State does give up on steelhead, I think this would be an economic travesty. Unlike the various salmon fisheries, steelhead provides opportunities 12 months of the year. And I imagine after you consider the money spent over 10-12 months of pursuing one species of fish, it probably ranks reasonably well as one of the States economic assets as far as natural resources goes. And as Saukit said, triploids are not steelhead. You won't see me buying the latest loomis to go triploid fishing.

The reasoning for maintaining kill seasons on some rivers is because the runs in those rivers are not endangered. If a person keeps a native on a river where it's legal, that's their right and it hardley makes them losers. Poachers on the otherhand, are a different story.

WDFW is not choosing to spend steelhead $$ for triploids. This was, finally, a legislative allocation of funds, sought by Rep. Jim Buck a year or two ago to enhance trout fishing in the state. With luck, the legislature (which funds WDFW and decides much of what the dept can do) may follow up with more for sportfishers. Maybe we should write and thank our senators/reps for this funding, to encourage more.

Thanks to everyone for clearing it up. To me the article came across as saying "because of the lack of steelhead and salmon we are planting tripliods."

And that is what got me all upset.



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Ryan S. Petzold
aka
Sparkey and/or Special

Sauk, you desribed the situation perfectly. The Triploids need to be put in selective fisheries and Flyfish only fisheries, otherwise these fish will all be gone within 2 months after planting. In case you didn't know Trips are aslo much more aggressive feeders and can be fished out in no-time at all. Also, if you do decide to release Trips, take extra time reviving them for they recover very poorly. Look for the blunt nose and put 'em back.

Sauk, you desribed the situation perfectly. The Triploids need to be put in selective fisheries and Flyfish only fisheries, otherwise these fish will all be gone within 2 months after planting. In case you didn't know Trips are aslo much more aggressive feeders and can be fished out in no-time at all. Also, if you do decide to release Trips, take extra time reviving them for they recover very poorly. Look for the blunt nose and put 'em back.