Evaluation of Hatchery versus Wild Sockeye Salmon Fry Growth and Survival in Two British Columbia Lakes

Abstract

We evaluated the relative success of sockeye salmon hatchery fry stocking in two British Columbia–Alaska transboundary lakes (1,622-ha Tatsamenie Lake and 492-ha Tahltan Lake). Fry stocking began in the late 1980s and is still under way. During the study period, survival patterns in the two lakes were different. At Tatsamenie Lake, wild egg-to-fry survival was higher than hatchery egg-to-fry survival (11.3% versus 4.3%) and wild egg-to-smolt survival was higher than hatchery egg-to-smolt survival (5.8% versus 2.5%). We found no relationship between fry survival and stocking date, spawner abundance, or food availability in Tatsamenie Lake, but we did find a significant positive relationship between early-spring fry length and egg-to-fry survival. Also, we found that in net-pen experiments, larger fry survived better. From this, we concluded that hatchery fry stocked into Tatsamenie Lake may suffer from size-mediated mortality and that net-pen supplemental feeding could be used to overcome this problem. However, because eggs used for hatchery production come from the lake, fry stocking can only be justified when hatchery fry survival exceeds wild fry survival. At Tatsamenie Lake, this goal has not yet been attained. At Tahltan Lake, wild egg-to-fry survival was lower than hatchery egg-to-fry survival (1.5% versus 6.3%) and wild egg-to-smolt survival was lower than hatchery egg-to-smolt survival (3.6% versus 12.8%). Hatchery fry release date and food availability both failed to explain these differences in fry and smolt survival at Tahltan Lake. However, there was a strong negative relationship between total female escapement and wild egg-to-smolt survival. This supported the results of an earlier investigation, which suggested that Tahltan Lake was spawning-site limited. We concluded that at Tahltan Lake, hatchery fry stocking increased smolt numbers, is biologically justified, and should be continued.