July 2, 2009
From Oregon State Senator Jason Atkinson Office,
Salem – The Senate passed Senate Bill 472 and Senate Bill 545 Saturday afternoon, bills that will create larger and healthier salmon and steelhead populations in Oregon rivers. Senate bill 472 will start a hatchbox program on the Rogue River. The use of hatchboxes are a proven method for increasing the life expectancy of fish eggs. Senate Bill 545 directs the Department of Fish and Wildlife to study pathogens in fish hatcheries and determine what the best practices are for successfully raising fish in hatcheries. “Fishing in Oregon’s streams and rivers is one of our state’s great legacies,” said Atkinson. “These bills are in the best tradition of ingenuity and conservation, and I believe an important part of protecting and restoring our salmon and steelhead runs.”
Senate Bill 472 will begin a pilot project through the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to work with local communities and conservation groups in establishing a hatchbox program on the Rogue River. Hatchboxes are special protective boxes that protect and incubate eggs within the river until they hatch. A $45 hatchbox can hatch 1,000 eggs at a time. Survival rates of eggs to fry stage are 65 percent to 95 percent, compared to natural survival rates of 5 percent to 20 percent.
“The more eggs that survive to fry stage, the more fry have a chance of surviving to adulthood,” said Atkinson. “It is simple math, and I think it is another thing we can do to help ensure that there are strong fish populations for our kids and grandkids to fish.”
Oregon’s world famous salmon and steelhead rivers are threatened by diminishing fish populations.
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[NR NOTE: Both bills cleared teh House and await Kulongoski's signature]
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The Bandon Fishermans Assoc. started the hatchbox operation back in 1980 with over 100 hatchboxes on various tributaries to the Coquille River system. These small boxes were able to hatch and hold 25,000 eggs each with a 95% to 98% recovery. In 1983/4 we had some of the best returns the Coquille system had seen for quite some. Senator Bill Bradbury introduced the STEP program, and it took off after that. We started collecting wild stock and did our own spawning at the Bandon hatchery. In fact we did so well raising salmon the ODFW cut us off, apperantly because we could raise them for no expense to the tax-payers. If you are interested in more information, please contact the Coquille River STEP. Coquille, Oregon
Hello I am going to start a hatch box on the Nestucca river in Tillamook county and am doing it with fish and game to ensure all is good. I am wondering if you could help me find plans for a hatch box and it need to hold 20,000 eggs at a minimum. I am involved or am going to be involved with the STEP program and am very committed to helping wildlife in our rivers and forests Cody Martin 503 881 7077
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Yeah for the fish! I just wish our schools would be taken care of as well.