Program on the Environment

Washington State has a longstanding history of employing salmon hatcheries – colloquially, “fish farms” – to contribute stock to the local fisheries in order to supplement resources for commercial, recreational, subsistence, and tribal angling. In fact, over 75% of salmon caught in the Puget Sound are hatchery-bred fish (“Salmon Hatcheries Overview”). Unfortunately, releasing farmed fish into the local fishery arguably “dilutes” the gene pool of the wild fish, as hatchery-bred and wild-spawned fish interbreed, and over the course of generations, wild fish may become less suited for their natural habitat. Some of the most compelling stakeholders regarding this topic are hatchery management professionals themselves. Opinions vary widely on this hot-button issue, even within the industry, with some parties condemning the addition of hatchery fish into the fishery, and some parties fully supporting hatcheries. My work involved consulting individuals affiliated with salmon hatcheries throughout Washington State. By conducting in-depth interviews and reading scholarly articles, I hoped to understand how various individuals throughout Washington State perceive hatcheries, taking into consideration the impact that hatcheries have on the salmon fishery.