The Influence of Fingerling Quality on Adult Salmon Survivals

Abstract

The Salmon-Cultural Laboratory of the Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife in cooperation with the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries is conducting investigations to determine the effect of fingerling quality on adult salmon survival. Three approaches are being employed. In the first, differences in a single characteristic are imposed on two lots of marked fish. In the second, the fortuitous differences in characteristics imposed by twelve hatchery regimens over four brood years are measured. In the third, the differences in characteristics between hatcheries and between prerelease samples and those recovered in the estuary are compared. In all three methods, differences in adult survivals determine the significance of differences in fingerling characteristics. Results to date indicate that to increase survival the average fall chinook fingerling at time of release should have higher stamina, larger size, increased protein and energy reserves, and a lower disease incidence.