SPOKANE, Wash. — The Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) says it will distribute over 1,500 dead fish used for hatchery spawning into the Tucannon River.
Decaying salmon and steelhead provide food for aquatic insects and other species that feed young salmon and other fish.
The dead fish also serves as food for otters, mink andother wildlife.
And the practice of releasing dead salmon to help increase nutrient levels in waterways has been done for decades.
WDFD calls the process a natural way of recycling.
Michael Gallinat, a WDFW fish biologist, says that salmon and steelhead have historically provided nutrients to the rivers where they spawn as they decompose.
However, a decline in salmon and steelhead numbers has created a unique problem.
“In recent years though, too few salmon and steelhead have returned to the Tucannon River to provide the necessary nutrients to maintain a productive food web. This work will help to do just that,” Gallinat said.
WDFW will work with the nonprofit Tri-State Steelheaders to release the salmon that have “spawned out” or are dead from the Lyons Ferry Fish Hatchery.
They will release the dead salmon on Jan. 24.
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