A Letter to Washington State Governor Jay Inslee In Regard to Defending Science-Based Salmon Recovery Policy

A letter signed by 77 prominent fisheries and orca scientists and advocates calling on Governor Inslee to reinstate science-based policy recommendations removed from state hatchery policy by the WA Fish and Wildlife Commission in 2018. The removal of these recommendations by the congressionally appointed Hatchery Science Review Group (HSRG) were unjustified and never underwent State Environmental Policy Act review as required.

An excerpt: “We, the undersigned fishery and environmental scientists, are writing to let you know of our deep concerns regarding the June 15, 2018 decision by the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) to suspend key policy guidelines of their 2009 Hatchery and Fishery Reform Policy (POL-C3619), while it undergoes a 6-12-month review…

We would urge you to personally review the recent action by the Fish and Wildlife Commission to suspend the principles, standards and recommendations of the HSRG. We would call upon you to take two immediate steps. First, we would urge you to call upon the FWC to immediately reinstate the three key policy guidelines while conducting the Hatchery and Fishery Reform Policy review. Second, the actions of the FWC to suspend the guidelines while conducting the review gives the appearance of an inherent bias against the HSRG. Therefore, we would call upon you to put together a true independent process to review the HSRG recommended principles, standards and recommendations.”

Click below to download and read the full letter.