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conduct thorough genetic monitoring of all stocking operations- 

 To our knowledge, this is not being done on a systematic basis by 

 many of the agencies involved in stocking programs. 



Fisheries aanagers Bust evaluate zmd Bonitor batcbery success to 

 determine cost-effectiveness based on contribution to actual 

 stock abundance. 



A second key question for the region's hatcheries is the question 

 of cost-effectiveness. At a time when the fisheries budgets of 

 all agencies are wanting, each dollar spent on salmon recovery 

 must be well justified in terms of contributing to stock 

 recovery. According to Oregon Trout", the Oregon Department of 

 Fish and Wildlife recently calculated the cost per adult product 

 from each hatchery in the state. Two examples of cost per adult 

 that are exorbitant are spring Chinook from Lookingglass Hatchery 

 at $872 per adult and spring chinook from Irrigon Hatchery at 

 about $10,000 per adult. Clearly, this money would have been 

 better spent on other management procedures, such as habitat 

 restoration. Further, to look again at the Columbia River on a 

 large scale, a 1992 General Accounting Office study found the 

 cost of producing hatchery-reared salmon in the Columbia River 

 basin to be $537,000,000. In light of the Columbia's declining 

 runs and newly listed threatened and endangered stocks, this is a 

 very poor investment. 



Even though the Oregon study may have been bad news for some, at 

 least the study was conducted. Again, to our knowledge, few 

 hatchery-operating agencies are conducting cost-benefit analyses 

 that are based on cost per adult, i.e. contribution to the adult 

 stock abundance. To upgra d e efficiency of these operations. 

 periodic cost-benefit a n alyses must be done for each State. 

 federal, and trib al hatchery in the region. 



To reduce genetic risk and to ensure cost-effectiveness, an 



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