Last December, the Northwest Power and Conservation Council issued a report stating that salmon and steelhead returns were “holding steady” in the Columbia River. A couple of news outlets covered this report and I pointed out issues with both of them here. The primary problem is that hatchery and wild fish were not separately counted and increased returns compared to the 1990s are due to increased hatchery production. Oregon Public Broadcasting recently reprinted an article from Underscore Native News on the same topic making the same omissions. Nevertheless, I found the article worthwhile as it reflects the troubling stance of Columbia Basin tribes, including the Confederate Tribes of Warm Springs, on hatcheries. I wrote some thoughts about this here. Increased hatchery production, as being pursued by many tribes in Oregon, will not recover wild fish. The science on this is clear. Hatcheries absolutely have a role to play but they do not lead to “restoration”.