In 1967 the Columbia River system produced 
about 15 million pounds of salmon by aquacul- 
tural methods, contributing to a total U.S. salmon 
catch of 202 million pounds. While only seven per 
cent of total production, this contribution is 
indicative of the potential of aquacultural tech- 
niques. 
The Bureau of Commercial Fisheries conducted 
a benefit-cost ratio (B/C ratio) analysis of the 
Coho and Chinook salmon produced at the 
Columbia River hatcheries in relation to salmon 
caught by fishermen and the results were startling. 
Coho ran as high as 7.8 to 1.0 and Chinook ran 
from 2.5 to 4.5 to 1.0. This ratio is conservative 
but represents a reasonable reflection of the 
advances aquaculture can provide.” 
In addition to work progressing in the 
Columbia River, Dr. Lauren Donaldson at the 
College of Fisheries, University of Washington, is 
doing extensive work in aquaculture by breeding 
salmon.® 
Dr. Donaldson’s Chinook salmon data after 
eight cycles indicates some progress has been 
made. Studies of the returns of Chinook salmon to 
the University holding pond for 1960 through 
1967 revealed increase in growth, length and 
weight, as well as a significant increase in fecun- 
dity for both the three-year-old and four-year-old 
females (Figures 22, 23, and 24). 
The emphasis in selection has been on the 
three-year-old returning Chinook salmon. Al- 
though the variation from year to year is great, the 
increase in length for females—excluding the re- 
turns of 1966 with the pectoral mark? averaged 
about a centimeter per year over the past eight 
years (Figure 22). Also the average yearly increase 
in weight for three-year-old Chinook females was 
about 200 grams (Figure 23). In the past eight 
cycles, egg production for the three-year-old 
salmon increased at a fairly steady rate. The yearly 
7 This B/C ratio was based on the ex-vessel price (fish 
gutted and gilled but not headed and not processed). 
8The material on Chinook salmon and trout in 
subsections 3 and 4 was taken from reports by Dr. 
Donaldson. 
; °For the brood years 1960 to 1966, the young salmon 
fingerlings were marked by amputation of a fin or the 
maxillary bone. This procedure handicaps the fish in 
varying degrees and makes exact interpretation of the 
results of the selective breeding difficult. Removal of the 
pectoral fins from the 1963 brood year fingerlings, which 
returned during the fall of 1966 as three-year-old adults, 
was especially damaging. 
80 
79 
78 
77 
76 
ts 
74 
LENGTH IN CENTIMETERS 
1966 pectoral marks excluded 
——— 1966 pectoral marks included 
60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 
YEAR 
Figure 22. Trend of body length on return 
year of three-year-old Chinook salmon females. 
WEIGHT IN KILOGRAMS 
1966 pectoral marks excluded 
——— 1966 pectoral marks included 
1 | 1 ! It 1 
60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 
YEAR 
Figure 23. Trend of body weight on return 
year of three-year-old Chinook salmon females. 
VI-157 
