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SALMON RECOVERY: LEARNING FROM SUCCESSES AND FAILURES
Citation:
Lackey, R T. SALMON RECOVERY: LEARNING FROM SUCCESSES AND FAILURES. NORTHWEST SCIENCE. Northwest Scientific Association, Tacoma, WA, 76(4):356-360, (2002).
Description:
Billions of dollars have been spent in a so-far failed attempt to reverse the long-term decline of wild Pacific salmon. Of the Earth's four regions (i.e., Asian Far East, Atlantic Europe, eastern North America, and western North America) where salmon runs occurred originally, it appears probable that western North America will emulate the other three: extirpated or much reduced runs in the southern half of the range; runs closer to historic levels in the northern half of the range (British Columbia northward). Based on an analysis of the 150 years of efforts to protect and restore salmon in western North America, five self-evident truths are proposed: (1) society's preferences ? thus salmon restoration policy goals ? are fleeting; (2) time scales of the principal players, both governmental and nongovernmental, in salmon policy deliberations rarely coincide; (3) scientists are essential, but supporting, players in deciding restoration policy; (4) among salmon experts, infatuation with optimization is naive; and (5) ecological reality or scientific truth is often an orphan in the adjudication of salmon policy questions. These truths are offered as benchmarks for evaluating how effective a specific formulation of adaptive management, or any other decision-support tool, will likely be in restoring wild salmon to the Pacific Northwest.