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The Role of the Washington Department of Fisheries (WDF) 

 in the Protection and Recovery of Pacific Salmon 



Testimony of WDF Presented to 



the U.S. House of Representatives 



Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries 



by 



Robert Turner, Director 



August 10, 1993 



MR. CHAIRMAN: I want to thank you and the Committee both for your interest in the 

 Northwest's tremendous fishery resource and for the opportunity to present the 

 Department of Fisheries' views on the critical topic of maintaining and recovering 

 healthy salmon populations and watersheds along the Pacific coast. These resources 

 are a cornerstone of the economic, cultural and recreational fabric of the Pacific 

 Northwest. An opinion poll taken several years ago identified some 90 percent of the 

 residents of Washington as feeling an attachment to our salmon resource. 



Salmon and steelhead are a "canary in the coal mine." They define a unique quality of 

 life that many would claim Is unmatched In our country - a quality of life that is 

 undeniably challenged by stock and habitat depletion. Wild fish resources and their 

 habitats, In particular, must be protected and restored In order to maintain viable and 

 healthy fisheries. Wild fish are necessary to maintain the breadth of the genetic 

 diversity so that our grandchildren also enjoy these resources. 



For our protection and restoration efforts to be successful, we must all work together. 

 Our efforts must be carefully planned to complement each other and strengthen 

 ongoing programs to protect healthy stocks and watersheds. 



Fisheries managers, like all government agencies, have implemented dynamic public 

 policy as It has grown and matured through the year. We have been trying to adapt 

 to the development of hydroelectric facilities, to substantial timber harvest from river 

 basins and riparian areas, and to an Increased awareness of the limits on harvest 

 capacity of the resource. 



Through all these changes to public policy, many fish stocks remain relatively healthy. 

 Naturally reproducing populations still account for over half the total salmon production 

 originating from Washington's watersheds. Nevertheless, most stocks experience 

 periodic problems and many wild stocks are significantly depleted. 



These depressed stocks command our attention. 



As fishery managers, the Department and tribal governments now face the joint 

 challenges of accommodating growth and development In a manner that protects our 



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