>> There is a bigger issue as regards Alaskan so-called "wild" salmon:-



>> http://blogfishx.blogspot.co.at/2008/09/alaskas-half-farmed-salmon.html



Interesting. And somewhat near a subject I was discussing with my brother-in-law this past weekend.



We had to build a 200 foot "rustic" fence on his family's ranch near Stanley (in central) Idaho. The reason - the Forest Service wants them to better control the cattle that range on their land during the summer. Apparently, the Feds think the cattle is interfering with Salmon spawning too much. (My brother-in-law says there has never been much salmon traffic in the creek in question, but the Forest Service said "build the fence, or we will do it for you. So we did).



We don't get much salmon up there anyway because of the dams on the Columbia and Snake rivers. There's a hatchery about 10 miles from Stanley that releases millions of infant salmon (fry) into the Salmon River each year, hoping they will get 10's of thousands of adult salmon back for spawning in the area. After 20 years of trying, it's been a dismal failure.



Anyway, it got me to thinking. One of the issues we have around here is this crazy attitude of "manage everything" one day, but "hands off" the next day. Environmental idiots vs. Federal idiots is what it boils down to. You really can't have it both ways - you can either manage the land and wildlife, or you can leave it completely alone. Trying to do both is a fool's errand. But, it's back and forth pretty much every day.



As far as the salmon is concerned, our thinking is this - this of ranching rather than farming. Build a few more hatcheries without engaging in the fantasy that we'll ever "fix" the migration problem. Continue to plant the fish in every river, stream, and lake that they would naturally inhabit, let them migrate to the ocean, and then let the fishing boats take over. Everyone's happy.



Thoughts?