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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 5, 2013)
Holiday on Bikes! Ice a great gift deal at our 10-day Sale. Fri.– 6th through Sun.– 15th Take 10% to 40% off our entire inventory of urban biking goodies. Gifts fun and practical, warm and dry, bright and reflective. ‘The descendents of those hatchery fish are less fit, and when they interbreed, they contaminate the wild population.’ UÊÀ`>ÞÊÈÌ ÊqÊÈ«ÊÌÊ« UÊ->ÌÕÀ`>ÞÊÇÌ ÊqÊ££> Party/Reception for Cascadian Couriers featuring Falling Sky! Ugly Sweater Cargo Bike Ride with hot drinks & treats! Details at www.facebook/arriving.by.bike Sale Hours: M-F 10-7 Sat. 10-6 Sun 10-6 ÓÇÌ ÊEÊ7>iÌÌiÊUÊx{£{n{x{£ä A R L EN T HO M A S O N, WHICH PURCHASE BOARD MEMB ER M C K ENZ I E F LY F I S HER S PHOTO : U S F W S MCKENZIE FLYFISHERS DEFEND WILD CHINOOK SALMON It’s a tough time to be a Chinook salmon, but members of the McK- enzie Flyfi shers and the Steamboaters are trying to make things easier for the threatened fi sh. Concerned by what they say are poor manage- ment practices in hatcheries that allow wild fi sh to breed with hatchery fi sh, changing their genetic integrity and making them less fi t for survival, the Western Environmental Law Center (WELC) fi led a lawsuit Dec. 2 against the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in a move to stop these agencies from violating the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and to encourage government agen- cies to work together to come up with a genetic management plan. “The number of fi sh used by the fi shery is far in excess of what is ap- propriate in the basin, particularly in the main stem where there is a lot of intermingling of hatchery and wild fi sh,” says Pete Frost, attorney for WELC. “To operate legally, the hatchery needs a genetic management plan, and there isn’t one for this hatchery. McKenzie Flyfi shers is not go- ing to prejudge what that plan may do, but at this stage they are seeking to compel these agencies to comply with the ESA.” Chinook salmon are considered threatened in the Willamette River ba- sin under the ESA. According to the lawsuit, 46,000 adult spring Chinook salmon returned to the McKenzie River in 1941, but with the introduction of dams and hatchery practices, those numbers have dropped dramatically. Studies of steelhead and trout show that fi sh raised in hatcheries don’t face the same obstacles to survival that wild fi sh face, and as they breed and pass along their genes, they lose their natural ability to survive that wild fi sh have developed over many generations. Dave Thomas, secretary for the McKenzie Flyfi shers, says that when hatchery salmon genes mix with wild salmon genes, the original genetic integrity of the salmon becomes lost. According to Arlen Thomason, a retired molecular biologist and board member of the McKenzie Flyfi shers, about 1,000 wild Chinook salmon now return to the McKenzie River, supplemented by 8,000 hatchery- raised salmon. “There’s a big difference between hatchery salmon and wild salmon,” Thomas says. “The descendents of those hatchery fi sh are less fi t, and when they interbreed, they contaminate the wild population.” ODFW Fish Communications Coordinator Jessica Sall says that it is not ODFW’s policy to comment on active lawsuits. The lawsuit compels ODFW and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to release fewer hatchery spring Chinook salmon into the McKenzie River and requests that the rate of genetic introgression be better managed to prevent further intermin- gling and loss of genetic integrity. — Amy Schneider COULD BE ON US? ANY OF THEM. We will cover one randomly selected Northwest Visa Card transaction each week, up to $500 value. Will you be this week’s lucky member? www.nwcu.com Check Facebook for the latest winners. Offer ends 12/31/13. All loans subject to approval. Rates, terms, and conditions are subject to change without notice and may vary based on creditworthiness. Visit our website for more information on rates, fees, and other cost information, as applicable. If you would like to enter to win up to $500 without opening or using a credit card account with us, please fi ll out a 3x5 card with your information and drop it off at the nearest Northwest Community Credit Union branch. eugeneweekly.com • December 5, 2013 9
