Symposium Purpose: One of the most controversial and hot topics in fisheries biology today is the interaction between hatchery and wild salmon and steelhead. To address and better understand these interactions, fisheries managers and researchers are reevaluating how hatchery programs are managed and if these programs may be contributing to the decline in wild populations. However, hatcheries across the Pacific Northwest continue to play a vital role in producing fish that support recreational, commercial, and tribal harvest and are used to mitigate anthropogenic impacts to fish populations.
As the relationship between hatchery and wild populations becomes better understood, there is a growing need to inform policy makers, resource managers, recreational, tribal, and commercial fishing communities, and the general public on the importance of wild populations, and to define the role that hatcheries play in supporting fisheries. The Hatchery vs. Wild Symposium will convene regional leaders in fisheries management and research to discuss the role of hatcheries and how these facilities can best be used to meet the dual objectives of wild population conservation and fishery harvest.
Symposium Format: Invited managers and researchers will present in four sessions during the 1.5 day symposium. The four sessions will include: Hatchery Fish Performance and Genetics, Influence of Hatchery Fish on Wild Populations, Managing Reality: Co-Existing Wild and Hatchery Populations, and Hatchery Reform: Where Do We Go From Here? Each session will culminate in a panel discussion to encourage idea sharing among participants and presenters on these critical topics.
Dr. David L.G. Noakes will give the symposium’s keynote address.
Who Should Attend: The target audience includes policy makers, fisheries professionals, the conservation community, and recreational, tribal, and commercial fishers interested in current hatchery management practices and hatchery-wild research. Students and other interested individuals are also encouraged to attend.
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