Salmon
Harvest & Hatcheries
Harvest and
hatcheries are two of the four Hs; the
others are
habitat and
hydropower. The four Hs are
human-controlled factors that affect salmon
species’ survival and recovery. NOAA
Fisheries oversees salmon harvest and
hatchery activities as part of agency
responsibilities under the
Endangered Species Act and the
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and
Management Act.
Harvest includes
commercial, recreational and tribal fishing.
Management of those fisheries in the
Northwest is a cooperative process involving
federal, state, tribal and Canadian
representatives. There are different
management responsibilities and mechanisms
depending on where the fishing is done and
who is doing it.
Hatcheries Artificial
propagation is any assistance provided by
man in Pacific salmon reproduction.
Hatcheries are artificial propagation
facilities designed to produce fish for
harvest, or for escaping harvest to spawn. A
conservation hatchery differs from a
production hatchery since it specifically
tries to supplement or restore naturally
spawning salmon populations. Artificial
propagation, especially the use of
production hatcheries, has been a prominent
feature of Pacific salmon fisheries
enhancement efforts for several decades. The
recent decline of many natural populations
has prompted the development of another role
for artificial propagation: assisting in
conservation of salmon populations.
