Recycling on the North Fork

[Jennie@ifish]

Went to a kind of quick notice ODFW meeting last night with Rick Klumph, (regional bio, I think), Keith Braun, district biologist, and Joe Watkins manager at the NF hatchery, concerning the recycling of fish at the North Fork.
Some people are upset that they are putting all of the fish in the lakes, rather then recycling them this year.
Joe explained that most probably, due to low waters, he has recieved very few 'green' fish at the hatchery. They have been mostly ready to spawn, and are not candidates for recycling.
If, in the future, he does get some green fish, they will be recycled at Aldervale Boat ramp as usual.
A little of my two cents:
Know that the key issue right now, is to keep these hatcheries open!
Conflicts that arise over minor practices like this can only cause more problems. If we light fires about minor issues, it draws more attention. The more 'conflict' attention over hatchery practices will, in the end, could fuel the fire over keeping the hatchery open at all.
Recycling of adult steelhead, a practice which gives us a second chance to catch these hatchery steelhead, is strictly controlled by wild fish policy. This comes down to the hatcheries all the way from NMFS.
Hatcheries which are rearing steelhead from out of basin broodstock are required to assist in keeping adult hatchery spawner rates at 10% in their rivers.
The NF hatchery today, will begin experimenting with 'air spawning' which may improve the numbers of fish which can be recycled into the river.
Joe Watkins was excited about the possibility of trying the practice which is in use at the Alsea hatchery. There, they utilize an electroshock system. They have been using this the past few years. This practice is very effective in not harming the fish as they air spawn them, without having to wrestle each thrashing individual fish.

Jen