Oregon Sea Grant

The optimism of early salmon hatchery practitioners to increase abundance (Lichatowich 1999) has been tempered in recent decades by theoretical and empirical studies indicating unintended negative effects hatcheries can have on wild Pacific salmon and steelhead (Naish et al. 2008; Pearsons and Temple 2010). Unintended effects of hatcheries are much more difficult and costly to assess than evaluating the benefits of hatchery production to provide harvest opportunities. Holistically evaluating the relative costs and benefits of past and current hatchery practices requires an understanding and estimation of the unintended effects (Pearsons 2010). In recent years, national and local governments, indigenous (e.g. First Nations or tribal) resource agencies, private industry and NGO conservation groups have begun efforts to reform public salmon and steelhead hatchery systems in North America, which include critically evaluating societal and biological risks and benefits.