Governor Supports Sockeye Program

Idaho Gov. Jim Risch June 14 called for a greater effort to recover endangered sockeye salmon that migrate to spawn in central Idaho's Redfish Lake. "It would not be the policy of this administration to abandon the recovery of sockeye salmon, Risch told the Northwest Power Planning Council. His comments came in response to a report by the Independent Scientific Review Panel to the Northwest Power Planning Council that the requests to continue spawning captive adults for reintroduction not be funded. The Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Shoshone Bannock Tribe and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration had requested funding for various Redfish Lake sockeye salmon captive broodstock programs. "We are very pleased that Gov. Risch is taking this strong stand on fish conservation," Fish and Game Director Steve Huffaker said. "The sockeye project has always been a life support system, not a recovery program. It needs to be continued until enough problems have been solved to allow recovery to occur." While recognizing that the sockeye were in serious trouble, Risch offered four areas where greater recovery efforts could occur: - Increased funding from the federal government for the recovery program; - Increased propagation through the Idaho hatchery; - Revisiting of incidental take and harvest allowances; - Closer examination of out of basin issues, such as ocean conditions and predators. Ocean conditions play a large role in the health of the species, Risch said in a June 14 news release. Salmon return rates on the Frazier River in Canada, which has no dams, and the Columbia River with its dams, were similar, he said. "The states and council do not have the resources to study ocean conditions and more help is needed from the federal government in this area," Risch said. He also said that Idaho's opposition to dam removal has not changed. The Governor said he appreciated the effort of the Scientific Review Panel and respected their work, but that the final decision whether to fund the programs was up to the Northwest Power Planning Council.