Salmon Fantasies~

Fantasy #1 - Hatchery salmon are ruining the wild salmon genetically

Some of the folks putting out that fantasy actually have advanced degrees in fish. But the idea is really fishy. They apparently have never heard of DNA. DNA is the reproductive formula placed by GOD the Creator into every cell of the bodies of all living things (animal or vegetable). It’s the same in hatchery salmon as in wild salmon. No difference. The Salmon Restoration Industry hates hatcheries because they actually produce salmon. If hatcheries produce too many salmon those guys are out of business- the taxpayer funds and donations will cease.

My questions to them:

1- By what scientific test can you determine whether a salmon (live or dead) was born in a hatchery or a river bed?

2-Is an Irishman born in New York genetically inferior to one born in Dublin?

Fantasy #2 - Fish ladders don’t work -

Fish ladders work all over the world. Probably the world’s most important use of fish ladders is in the Columbia where nine dams (below Grand Coulee which has no ladders) put fish up the river. I haven’t seen any recent figures, but a few years ago, over 100,000 salmon crossed the Wells dam (number nine - 600 miles from the ocean). For a really spectacular sight, visit Bonneville dam and their viewing room where you can see an endless processesion of big lunkers passing through.

Fantasy #3 - But fish ladders would not have worked in the Elwha

No basis for such a fantasy. It was never tried. Eco-Thugs blocked every attempt because they wanted to use it as an excuse to take out the dams and knew that if one were built, it would work and their plan to turn the whole Olympic peninsula into one huge wild animal park would have been stalled

Fantasy #4 - The dams caused the radical decline of salmon in the Elwha

The Elwha produced marvelous runs of salmon for at least 50 years after the dams were built. Proof is Ernie Brannon Sr. Wading out into a river full of fish with a gaff hook and just gaffing the ones he wanted for eggs 50 years after the dams were built. A bit of that can be seen on video on my website: www.marvchastain.com

Video I got from the Brannon family is on a DVD I have and tape that was distributed by REAL. The decline in the Elwha matched the decline in all other Northwest rivers - with and without dams. Timewise, it matches the Bolt decision that allowed the tribes to net the rivers.

Fantasy #5 - Removal of the Elwha dams will free up 80 miles of salmon spawning habitat

The truth is that salmon lay their eggs in gravel in quiet water. If they lay them in fast water, the current will uncover them and they will be eaten by other fish, birds, etc. The lower five miles (below the lower dam) of the river has always been the primary spawning area because it is fairly quiet and contains gravel. Most of the rest of the river is fast water. A short distance above the upper dam the river passes over falls and rapids that salmon cannot pass (they can jump but they cannot fly). The 80 miles is fictitious.

Salmon FACT #1

A female chinook salmon will lay about 4000 eggs. Even if only a few of them succeed in dodging all the hi-tech fishing gear, seals, sea lions, and other assorted (protected) takers in the ocean and manage to make it back to the river, their fabulous productivity would still give us lots of salmon. But, when that fish is netted in the river, those 4000 eggs are sold to the Japanese for Sushi.

Salmon Fact #2

Salmon spawn in gravel in Quiet Water. If they lay their eggs in fast water, the current will expose the eggs and other fish will dine on them. The gravel must have water flowing through it so that the eggs can get oxygen. Otherwise they die. If the gravel is saturated with silt, the eggs will not get that needed oxygen so spawning will not occur. The 20-some thousand cubic yards of gunk coming down from the Elwha dams will eliminate most if not all of the spawning in the lower river thus eliminating the Elwha as a major source of salmon for unknown years to come.

Marv Chastain