Salmon review

Gov. Angus King outlined his legal argument the other day against listing Atlantic salmon as an endangered species. And while he may not have made any new friends among the people bringing suit to force the listing, on at least one point he had all heads nodding.

The governor’s call for an independent investigation of the federal hatchery stocking program is overdue. In fact, it was overdue the last time he agreed to such a review. Though the latest permutation of the hatchery program will not have definitive results in for a couple of years, a thoughtful examination of the program’s approach, here and elsewhere in New England, and a review of its goals would help all sides in this debate.

So would gathering detailed information, river by river, on what each looked like historically, what is known specifically about stocking programs on each and what effect pollution reduction or dam removal has had on the success of the salmon returns. Salmon experts could offer a hundred allied questions; the point is that a lack of information about salmon has allowed emotion to take the place of reason during the listing debate, helping no one.

The governor agreed in January 1999 to begin such a peer review but pulled out in October because the proposed composition of the review board. This disagreement has wasted a considerable amount of time and left too many questions unanswered. Proponents and opponents of the ESA listing already agree that, no matter what happens in court with the listing, a serious look at how the hatchery program has affected the salmon decline is necessary. Working cooperatively to put together a review is also an opportunity for the opposing parties to re-establish common ground.

Given the rhetoric during the last few months about listing process, that’s a chance neither side should pass up.