Current Initiatives

Endangered Species Act Protection
Wild and hatchery fish are not the same, as anglers and scientists know. Yet the federal government is moving to count wild and hatchery fish as a single population – thereby ensuring that threatened salmon and steelhead will not receive the Endangered Species Act protections that they need to survive. The Native Fish Society is fighting on every possible front to overturn this flawed policy.

Hatchery Reform
Picture in your mind all the fish in all the waters of the Northwest. Now imagine that every single one of those fish was born in a hatchery. You don’t have to look far into the future to see that this sad scenario could easily become a reality. NFS is committed to bringing back self-sustaining wild fish populations. We will keep pushing for policies that support natural reproduction in riverbeds, not artificial propagation in concrete cages.

Sound Science
Thousands of studies have shown how to best protect and restore wild fish. NFS is one of the primary conservation organizations collecting this data and using it to create effective conservation policies. Without NFS, this information would rarely reach the decision makers. Most importantly, the science would not be put to work protecting and restoring native fish.

Taking A Stand
NFS Science and Conservation Director, Bill Bakke spends countless hours testifying and advocating for native fish. His policy recommendations are sometimes unpopular, because the right solution isn’t always an easy one. Yet Bakke continues this difficult work – and makes it his primary focus – because native fish need a steadfast and effective proponent.

100% Marking of Hatchery Fish Needed
In 2002 alone, more than one million unmarked hatchery salmon and steelhead were released into the Columbia River. Unless adipose fins are clipped, fishermen can’t distinguish hatchery fish from native fish, and agencies can’t accurately count them. Most importantly, these unmarked fish swim into the rivers and create the appearance that wild runs are stronger than they actually are. The Native Fish Society is documenting the problem; we’re also pushing lawmakers and fisheries managers to remedy the situation.