The Daily Herald reported on Tulalip’s hatchery, discussing the issue of selective fisheries:
Unmarked salmon caught in certain areas must be returned to the water. That’s the state’s way of encouraging salmon runs to return to the levels that once made this region famous for a seemingly-endless supply of the fish.
At least, that’s how it’s supposed to work, said Kit Rawson, a fisheries biologist for the Tulalip Tribes.
Evidence suggests that more wild fish die when they’re caught and released than the number of hatchery fish that are caught and kept, Rawson said.
More wild fish may survive if fishermen simply kept what they hooked or netted, instead of throwing back half a dozen wild salmon they know may die in the process, he said.
