Agency designation will help promote healthy, fishable populations of wild steelhead for anglers
CONTACT:
Nick Chambers / Washington Organizer for Trout Unlimited’s Wild Steelhead Initiative
nchambers@tu.org / (541) 908-1329
(March 16, 2016) Seattle, Wash. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife announced their most recent Wild Steelhead Gene Bank designation which will be situated on the Grays and Chinook Rivers in the Lower Columbia. It isthe final of four gene banks planned for the region.
“Gene banks are an important tool for the recovery of wild fish in the state of Washington. We commend the Department in their selection of the Grays and Chinook Rivers. These rivers possess the highest potential for self-sustaining, fishable wild winter steelhead in the Lower Columbia, said John McMillan, science director for Trout Unlimiteds Wild Steelhead Initiative.
Wild Steelhead Gene Banks are rivers that are set aside for wild fish populations and are an important component of the WDFWs efforts to recover wild steelhead in the state. They are intended to minimize harmful interactions between hatchery and wild steelhead and provide a cornerstone for wild steelhead recovery.
The Department noted there were many reasons for their decision. There was broad public support for the designation with more than 85 percent of public comments favoring managing these rivers for wild steelhead. The Grays and Chinook are also known to have some of the best available habitat and most abundant wild steelhead populations in the region.
Furthermore the department does not expect to see a reduction in the number of winter steelhead smolts planted in the region as a whole – those smolts will simply go in other basins. The Grays River Hatchery will continue to raise steelhead smolts that will be acclimated and released in Lower Columbia basins where they will be available to anglers.
“There’s no net loss in hatchery fish available to anglers here, they will just be planted in more appropriate places. The added bonus is this gives wild fish a chance to thrive,” said McMillan. “This balanced approach is consistent with what the majority of anglers want to see in their fisheries, and simultaneously enhances conservation of our wild steelhead populations.”
About Trout Unlimited –
Trout Unlimited is the nations oldest and largest coldwater fisheries conservation organization dedicated to conserving, protecting and restoring North Americas trout and salmon and their watersheds. Follow TU on Facebook and Twitter, and follow our blog for all the latest information on trout and salmon conservation. For more information about the Wild Steelhead Initiative, go to wildsteelheaders.org