Evolution at work? Perhaps we should stop acting as if they are.
New research from Oregon State University suggests hatchery-raised salmon, which are bred to help bolster wild stocks in B.C. and elsewhere, are genetically different from the populations they’re introduced into. Researcher Michael Blouin says scientists have known for some time the offspring of wild and hatchery-raised salmon are less adept at surviving in the wild, negatively affecting the health of wild populations. The question is, what is it about hatcheries that create fish believed to be inferior at surviving in the wild? “What we found is that when you compare the fish that had two wild parents with those that had two hatchery parents, we see hundreds of genes with different activity,” Blouin told On The Coast guest host Michelle Eliot. (CBC)
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/salmon-hatchery-study-1.3456636