Pros and cons of salmon hatcheries

[builnacraig]

This link will take you to an excellent report just published by FRS on the positive and negative aspects of salmon hatchery operations. It is well worth a read and should go long way towards improving hatchery operations.

www.frs-scotland.gov.uk/Delivery/Information_Resources/information_resources_view_document.aspx?contentid=2094


Brian

[elwyman]

Interesting report, no doubt the debate will continue.

[elwyman]

There's a very interesting article in the May T&S about how the River Conwy was stocked with salmon fry from the Thurso in the mid-20th century.

This was very successful in producing a spring run, where none existed previously. The run continued for a few years after the hatchery was closed in the 50s, but is now virtually non-existent. Catches for the river have declined from 1000+ to about 250.

I know that the purists will argue that actions like this might affect the genetic purity of a river's stock, and that habitat/water quality improvements are more important, but the fishing was darn good for a relatively short river!

We should also bear in mind that some of the best trout and sea trout fishing in the world, in Patagonia and NZ, is "man-made" and originates from the importation of trout from the UK in the 19th century.