Sockeye Return is Ray of Hope

When the female sockeye slipped out of his hands, U.S Senator Mike Crapo witnessed a sockeye swim up Redfish Lake Creek for the first time in 20 years. "It's a ray of hope," Crapo said; "A testament to the power and strength of this fish." Senator Crapo was one of several federal, state and tribal officials celebrating the largest return of sockeye salmon to the Sawtooth Valley since 1956. They gathered on the bank of Redfish Lake Creek for a hands-on experience with a fish that had almost disappeared from Idaho. It was in 1990 that the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes petitioned to list sockeye on the Endangered Species List. "It isn't magic, but it is magical," said fisheries bureau chief Ed Schreiver. "We're not here because of luck, but because of sound science behind the program." The returning sockeye are a direct result of a captive brood stock program begun in 1990 that was managed by Idaho Fish and Game and largely financed by Bonneville Power Administration. The program has kept the fish's genetics intact for the time when river and ocean conditions would allow sockeye to rebound. The last several years have provided this opportunity. "Salmon really are a resilient species," said Barry Thom, NOAA Fisheries Deputy Administrator. "They really do want to reproduce. If we give them half a chance, they'll take it." An estimated 1,400 fish are expected to complete their journey from the ocean to Idaho this year. "Seeing so many of these fish return for the first time in so many decades says to me that all the hard work and collaboration that has gone into saving them is working," BPA Administrator Steve Wright said. "It's now time to build on the success by expanding Idaho's broodstock program to further increase the numbers heading to sea and, ultimately, returning to Idaho as adults. This is proving to be an effective investment in our heritage and our legacy." The number of sockeye that have returned the last three years is allowing biologists and agencies charged with recovering sockeye to plan for true recovery by establishing a self-sustaining wild population. With the recent purchase of the Springfield Hatchery, the goal of producing upwards of one million smolts per year is in the early planning stages. This would mean a five-fold increase in the number of sockeye smolts produced and released for their journey to the ocean.