Office of Governor Gary Locke
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - May 5, 2003
Contact:  Michael Marchand, Governor’s Communications Office, 360-902-4136

Gov. Gary Locke Stresses Importance of Fish Hatchery Work

Gov. Gary Locke today highlighted the importance of developing conservation and harvest goals for the state’s hatcheries and fisheries. The governor made his remarks at conference hosted by the Puget Sound and Coastal Washington Hatchery Reform Project and held in Olympia.

“We must make hatcheries compatible with naturally spawning fish population protection efforts, while allowing them to produce a sustainable fishery,” Locke said. “These issues are critical to the strategy and management of salmon recovery.”

The conference provided the project’s nine scientists a forum to brief state and federal leaders on their assessment of hatchery programs in the Puget Sound. The scientists have spent three years reviewing the state’s hatcheries and will complete their reviews along the coast this year.

“I commend the hard work of the scientists here today, and the federal, state and tribal leaders who have assisted in the program’s coordination,” Locke said. “Their research will allow us to better understand how hatcheries can help us recover salmon and outline next steps.”

Together, the federal, state and tribal hatcheries of Washington state comprise the largest hatchery system in the world.

The Puget Sound and Coastal Washington Hatchery Reform Project is a scientific and systematic redesign of hatchery programs to help recover wild salmon and support sustainable fisheries. The project was established in 2000 by Congress.

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