[thechat] salmon

[Erika Meyer]

That is interesting... which species do they threaten, native salmon,
or other fish?  is it the habitiat change, the new fish, or both?

There are both Native and hatchery fish in the Klamath.  The
hatcheries started as the Native stocks began to dwindle.  There is
argument that hatchery fish are bad because they mix with Native
stock.  Native fish are uniquely adapted to their streams, their
river.  They are tougher, in general.  Of course, when the river
changes so drastically, the salmon are up sh*t creek so to speak.

In the US have been several rulings lately bad for salmon.   For
example, hatchery fish were ruled to be the same as wild fish.  This
makes it easier to destroy fish habitat, because you can just replace
the fish, right?  Most fisheries people know this is bunk.

We have problem with introduced species in the Sacramento river.
This fish called "squawfish" (squaw is an offensive name for an
Indian woman) were introduced.  Squawfish LIKE warm shallow water...
and so as the river climate changed from cool to warm due to farm
irrigation removal of water, the salmon started dying and the
squawfish taking over.

So now Sacramento river Chinook (king salmon) are endangered.

A new issue would now be these genetically engineered "super-salmon."
Who knows what kind of factor that is going to be.

Erika

>the Cohos were brought here, to large growing factories, wich are
>modifying the habitat of our own species, threatening them.
>___________________________________

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