Authors
Rishi SharmaGary Morishima Shizhen Wang
André Talbot
Larry Gilbertson
Report Reference
#Can.
J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 63: 423–437 (2006)
Publication Date
18 Jan
2006
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An
evaluation of the Clearwater River supplementation program in western
Washington
Abstract |
| This
paper presents preliminary results of a study to evaluate the potential
utility of supplementation of natural origin coho salmon (Oncorhynchus
kisutch) on the Clearwater River, a tributary of the Queets River
in western Washington. The study, initiated in 1984, involves the
collection of natural origin brood stock, rearing in a combination
of hatchery and natural environments, and volitional releases, combined
with marking and sampling of natural origin fish. Primary findings
relative to five essential research questions of this study concluded
that (i) smolts from supplementation returned at a lower
rate than natural smolts; (ii) the reproductive efficiency
(spawner to spawner) of fish taken for supplementation was higher
than that for fish allowed to spawn naturally; (iii) supplemental
fish successfully reproduced and the combined supplemental–natural
spawning population had a high productivity; (iv) supplementation
did not appear to have affected the overall reproductive performance
of the population for the duration of the project; and (v)
supplementation increased the overall spawner return on the Clearwater
River and is required to maximize adult production, unless conditions
in both freshwater and ocean environments are optimal. |
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