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The Honorable Geny Studds 

 March 5, 1993 

 Page 3 



Hatcheries may produce unwanted and expensive long-tenn problems. 



1. Hatcheries produce dependence. 



Once started, hatcheries do not close. They require endless operation and 

 management expense. Fishery based economies become dependent on continuous 

 hatchery output. In essence, hatcheries become a form of social welfare and subsicfy 

 for habitat destruction. 



2. Hatcheries permit continued habitat destruction and water degradation. 



Historically, fish hatcheries have been used as "compensation" for habitat 

 destruction. Once the hatchery compensation is in place bttle or no incentive exists to 

 cure habitat destruction. Nor is there incentive to prevent further habitat destruction. 



3. Hatcheries are extremely expensive substitutes for stewardship of fish 

 habitat and clean water. 



Hatcheries have capital costs and virtually infinite operation and management 

 costs. Often the cost per returning adult fish is very high, sometimes higher Qian the 

 retail value of the fish. For example, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has 

 calculated the cost per adult product from each hatchery in the state. Trask River 

 spring Chinook cost $78.00 per adult (this is a coastal hatchery with no dams in the 

 watershed). Lx>okingglass Hatchery spring chinook cost $872.00 per adult (this is a 

 hatchery above eight federal dams in the Columbia River system). Irrigon Hatcheiy 

 spring Chinook cost $10,000 per adult (this is another Columbia River hatchery above 

 only three dams). 



In 1992 the General Accounting Office calculated the costs of hatcheiy salmon 

 production in the Cohmibia River from 1981 to 1991 to be $537,000,000. However, 

 during this time natural sahnon stocks continued to go extinct and five stocks were 

 listed under the Endangered Species Act The investment in hatcheries foiled to arrest 

 the salmon decline. 



On the other hand, naturalproduction is cheap. Fish that reproduce in healthy 

 productive habitat cost nothing . The costs of restoring habitat and purchasing water 

 are one time capital costs. They are by for the better long term investment 



4. Hatcheries are not reliable. 



There is growing abundant evidence that hatchery enhanced fisheries begin to 

 foil after a pericxl of years. Hatcheries necessarily eliminate a number of natural 

 selection processes that humans cannot duplicate. Impaired operation of natural 



