Big costs for Columbia River tagging programs

摘要

The Columbia River and its tributaries in western North America support at least 120 hatcheries (not all raising Pacific salmon) and a recent report refers to over 200 distinct programs that use tagging techniques to keep track of the fish that are raised in the hatcheries, and what subsequently happens to them. Like most data related to the Columbia River system, the numbers are huge. A report released in March 2013 by the Fish Tagging Forum of the Northwest Power and Conservation Council revealedthat fish tagging alone cost about $61.4 million during fiscal year 2012! Fish of many species, stocks, and sizes are tagged to obtain data on their numbers, harvest rates, behavior, habitat use, mortality rates, and the success of hatchery and other enhancement programs. Data from tagged or marked fish contribute to decision-making, including managing the river systems and their power-generating capacity; ocean and river harvest regimes; hatchery practices; and assessing risks to endangered species.