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The Honorable Geny Studds 

 March 5, 1993 

 Page 2 



ArtMktol productjon has no role until the reaaons for dccUne of natu rallv-spawnlng 

 salmon populations are known and anaivud. 



Salmon populations can decline for a number of reasons inchiding, 



1. Overfishing. 



2. Degraded water quality, 



3. Lack of sufficient water quantity, 



4. Disease, 



5. Natural catastrophe -- forest fire, land slide, natural water pollution, etc., 



6. Poor ocean conditions, lack of ocean based feed, 



7. Freshwater habitat destruction. 



Qearly, artificial production is no substitute for abundant clean water, 

 conservative harvest management, and conservation of freshwater habitat Survival of 

 all naturally pawning populations requires those components. The use of artificial 

 production is not in<Ucated if decline is caused by curable ecological problems. 



Here is an analogy: A doctor does not prescribe oxygen to a patient whose 

 cardio-vascular system is in poor condition due to lack of exercise. The doctor treats 

 the limiting factor ~ lack of exercise. A prescription for oxygen simply makes the 

 patient dependent on oxygen and permits the root cause of the problem to go 

 untreated. Fish hatcheries are the like oxygen to the flabby patient They permit the 

 environmental causes of decline to go untreated while malang the resource entirely 

 dependent on an artificial cure, i.e. hatcheries. 



Hatcheries are useful only after the root causes of fishery decline are known and 

 treated. SmaD temporary "jump start" hatcheries may be useful to conserve extremely 

 depleted populations whue ecological bottlenecks are removed. Thereafter no artificial 

 production is necessary. 



Oregon Trout recently completed a strategy for maintaining the productivity of 

 Padfic sahnonids. Our strategy is attached for your consideration. It includes 

 recommendations for hatchery use. 



