im wondering if anyone here know what has become of the legislation that norm has been trying to push thru for all hatcheries to be fin clipping the fish and does this apply to tribal hatcheries? i recently read the feds are gonna start enforcing this and if so, being tribal hatcheries are mostly federally funded will they have to fin clip there fish too? they seem to allways be one up on all the laws concerning the fish and shellfish..i know the tribes have been putting pressure on norm dicks to back down on his stand for all hatchery clipping..if someone knows anything about this can they elaborate?

Ya mines norm, thanks for asking

Norm suceeded in getting language in the Interior Dept. appropriation mandating fin clipping of all Federally funded hatchery fish. I'm not sure if that will cover tribal hatcheries or not. Anyone know that?

The FY03 Interior appropriations bill contains language requiring all National Fish Hatcheries and all hatcheries funded with Federal $$'s to clip all their salmon and steelhead. Presumably this would include any Tribal hatcheries funded with Federal $$'s. (Are BPA funds considered Federal funds?)

However, there's one little problem. It's impossible with current technology and $$'s. The main problem is fall Chinook. Spring Chinook, coho, and steelhead are already marked. But there aren't enough clipping/marking trailers to handle a fraction of the fall Chinook that need to be clipped. They hatch in February and migrate in May, which leaves very little time for the fish to reach clippable size (70mm) before they leave the hatchery (85mm or about three inches). Plus, Spring Creek National Fish Hatchery alone releases 15 million fall Chinook. That's more than all the marking trailers can handle if they worked 24/7 between Feb and May. Plus there are several more hatcheries that release fall Chinook. And they wouldn't be able to clip the coho, spring Chinook or steelhead. It would be nice if things were simple but they aren't.

Whenever politicians get involved in fishery management, things get more difficult. Mr. Dicks is not likely to get what he has mandated without alot more $$'s and some flexibility. Fortunately, he seems to have plenty of both.

Cohoangler

"That's more than all the marking trailers can handle if they worked 24/7"

I saw a show on the discovery channel or something like that. It was about a new “fin clipping machine” that could clip the adipose fin something like 15 times faster then the guy doing it by hand. I think it was being tested in Oregon. Maybe these are being implemented, of course that is pure speculation on my part.

ya, i heard the same thing lead thrower, the hatcheries are getting more money allocated to them this year than last, i know over a billion dollars has been flushed down the big c, but most of the fish runs of recent have been to very good ocean conditions and not becuz of all the money spent, our politicians need to get some education on salmon/steelhead runs, not jus throwing more money into the water..i hope the tribes have to fin clip there fish, its only fair, they definately got the winning card in the race game..

head line for next year " due to the drop in wild returns and the great increase in hatchery returns the fish and game ,with the help of the seirra club and washington trout, have concluded that hatchery releases are the major cause and threat to wild stocks and all hatchery operations will come to a quick close in order to protect all fly fisherman, I mean wild stocks( I fly fish too so dont start)

starcrafttom

You know that could just happen

Flyfishing for chinook in the lakes of the Columbia river? Hmmmm, now why didn't I think of that...