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Clipping Time at the CEDC Hatchery

by Tryan Hartill
Hundreds of thousands of Rouge River Fall Chinook are losing a fin at the Hatchery near the Astoria Yacht Club.

In a program partially funded by the BPA and ODFW, workers are clipping the ventral fin of tiny Rouge River Salmon. Normally hatcheries cut the adipose fin, which is on the back of the salmon near the tail. But because this hatchery is releasing non-native fish into the Columbia, they need a special mark so folks in the fishing industry know that these fish are actually native to the Rouge River.

First the 2-3 inch fish are sucked out of their pens located at the dock. Some of the local gillnet boats sit only feet from the pens and surround them as if they are forming a protective barrier around the tiny fish, also known as Fry. In a twist of fate, these boats will catch some of these same fish when they return in 3-4 years.

::::

After traveling about 100 yards through a 6 inch hose, the fish enter into the clipping trailer. Once inside they are dropped in water with Finquel added to it. This chemical, also called ms-222, sedates the fish in about 20 seconds. After they “pass out” they are dropped in front of one of the 10 workers with scissors in hand and the fish’s left ventral fin is clipped.
After they wake up, the fish travel back through a slightly smaller tube and are released back into a different pen. About 50,000 a day are clipped and with 700,000 to do, it will take almost 3 weeks to complete the process.

The verdict is still out on whether the cutting of this will effect the survival rate of these fish. Some studies put the cutting of this fin at 0% harm, while others say this will cause 50% of the fish to not make it back to the Columbia.

The local CEDC hatchery also raises Spring Chinook bringing their total Chinook release to 1.2 million per year.

Apr 17, 07:57 pm | Tryan Hartill
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