Learn more about hatchery review and reform efforts in California and the Pacific Northwest.

HATCHERY REVIEW IN CALIFORNIA

A review of anadromous fish hatchery programs in California was funded by the U.S. Congress in 2010 to evaluate how the programs could be operated to meet harvest goals and achieve contemporary species conservation goals for steelhead and Chinook and coho salmon. The report provides a set of recommendations and operational guidelines that if implemented would enable hatchery programs to support sustainable fisheries while minimizing the impact of hatchery operations on natural populations.

HATCHERY REFORM IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST

The US Congress funded the Hatchery Reform Project via an annual appropriation to the US Fish and Wildlife Service beginning in fiscal year 2000 because it recognized that while hatcheries play a necessary role in meeting harvest and conservation goals for Pacific Northwest salmon and steelhead, the hatchery system was in need of comprehensive reform. The reports on Puget Sound and Coastal Washington provide recommendations for over 200 hatchery programs operated in those regions. The Columbia River System-Wide Report presents findings and recommendations for the 178 hatchery programs and 351 salmon and steelhead populations in the Columbia River Basin.