Washington state implemented a new summer fish hatchery program without federal review despite the program’s potential harm to protected steelhead, Chinook salmon, and bull trout, according to a lawsuit filed in a federal court in the state.
The South Fork Skykomish River summer steelhead program by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife was developed to support recreational fishing on the Skykomish River.
However, the program launched before the National Marine Fisheries Service could review the hatchery and genetic management plan, a conservation group told the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington. The program also started before ...