Review by Tony Orman
Hooked up on the Tongariro River – Californian steelheads were the original liberation
I’ve just read an extremely enjoyable and engaging book, “Headwaters” by Dylan Tomine and published by Patagonia.
The book is best described as a warm feel-good, at times personal book. Production is not ostentatious or visually stunning for it has no jaw-dropping photographs but instead some delightful illustrations by Frances Ashforth scattered through at strategic points. The presentation by publishers Patagonia is warmly welcoming to the reader.
And it has a lot of relevance to New Zealand.
New Zealand’s rainbow trout fishery originated from California, USA where Dylan Tomine fishes when eggs were taken from steelhead (sea-run fish) from the Russian River. These fish were liberated in 1903 in Lake Taupo and more particularly, in the Tongariro River, thus giving birth to a world famous rainbow trout fishery. In his 1920s book “Angler’s Eldorado” American writer and angler Zane Grey colourfully extolled the Tongariro River.
After the initial release in Taupo, more rainbow trout eggs from the Californian McLeod and Shasta Rivers were hatched at Auckland and Christchurch and the progeny of the rainbow and steelheads then released throughout New Zealand according to one source.
So New Zealand has a strong link to the steelhead fisheries which self confessed “steelhead bum” Dylan Tomine writes about. Legacy
Initially he was totally obsessed with fly fishing for steelhead rainbows but as he matures and takes on family responsibilities that evolves into a larger picture of growing apprehension about the future of the fishery.
As the pages are turned, the priorities of Dylan Tomine undergo change. Fatherhood instils a caring sense of responsibility simultaneously with the increasing awareness of the decline in rivers and fish. He begins to see the well meaning but misplaced restoration efforts.
Emerging, as the book is delved into, is the fallacy that hatcheries are the key to recovering the decline. When in Washington state, USA, Mount Saint Helens erupted in 1980, it sent a boiling mass of superheated ash down the Toutle River, obliterating the river’s flow and fish.
“For all intent and purposes the Toutle River was dead. Or so we thought,” the author writes.
Mother Nature stepped in.
“Within five years, wild steelhead were back in what was left of the Toutle, finding ways to survive, reproduce and miraculously, thrive.”
Seven years after the eruption in 1987, there were 2,052 wild steelhead spawning in the Toutle – a number biologists considered exceeded its carrying capacity before the eruption.
Then humans interfered.
Hatcheries
When the recovered numbers of steelhead were realised – although well-intentioned – it was decided to help Mother Nature by resuming hatcheries. But the explosive recovery of the Toutle was stalled and eventually dwindled to match the low returns for all other hatchery-supplemented Columbia River tributaries.
People mistakenly see hatcheries as the solution to ailing fisheries. The author writes “If guides and anglers invested the same amount of time and effort in habitat restoration—-the end result would be a healthier, more sustainable run of wild fish.”
Hatchery bred fish releases were undermining Nature’s evolved wild genetics.
On northern California’s Eel River, a steelhead hatchery was built and began operation in 1964. That year the run of wild fish in the Eel was 82,000 fish. The hatchery and release of fish continued for 30 years.
“By 1994 the combined hatchery and wild run came in at 2,000 fish total.”
In other words thirty years and millions of taxpayer money later, the steelhead fishery was 80,00 fish fewer.
The failure was obvious. The wild Eel River steelhead were classified as “endangered” and the hatchery was closed.
Twenty years later with no hatchery and the job left to Nature – given environmental safeguards – the run of wild steelhead returning to the Eel was estimated at more than 40,000 fish.
Eyes Wide Open
Author Dylan Tomine is emphatic and writes “We have to grow up and face the facts: Hatcheries don’t work.”
He applies the same conviction to salmon fisheries. Referring to increasing salmon hatchery programmes in the Pacific Northwest, Korea, Japan and Russia there are now more juvenile salmon in the Pacific Ocean than ever before. At the same time there are fewer adult salmon surviving to ascend rivers around the Pacific Rim. According to scientists the Pacific Ocean is likely at, or beyond, carrying capacity for salmon.
“Which is to say, there isn’t enough food to support the massive numbers of hatchery fish we’re pouring into the sea.”
The consequence is “the average size of adult Puget Sound Chinook (Quinnat) salmon has gone from more than twenty pounds to about ten pounds and the overall returns of wild and hatchery fish alike continue to fade.”
He urges anglers to “double down on efforts to highlight the destructive impact of hatcheries.”
Habitat
There is a strong call to avoid complacency over the well-being of habitat. Dylan Tomine urges anglers to not be indifferent.
As distasteful as politics and joining organisations may be to many anglers, it’s now past time where we can just go out and fish without worrying about the resource.
“The answer is simple – get involved,” he says.
The threats are real and many on-going.
“As long as opportunities for profit exist, threats will hover over the river”. He cites natural resources such as “precious metals, fossil fuels, timber, salmon—.”
Shades of New Zealand’s current political scenario with Ministers Shane Jones and Chris Bishop and there Fast Track law proposals to exploit minerals and other resources, where ever, when ever and without the public having a say.
Paralleling also the New Zealand government’s current proposal to introduce genetic technology is the author’s chapter on “Frankenfish” relating to gene technology and salmon farming. Humans believed they could out-engineer Mother Nature. in the 1990s, the international fish-farming corporations claimed a glowing future with developed GE sterile salmon while ocean currents would dilute pollution.
“And now,” says Dylan Tomine, “we watch wild runs ravaged by sea lice infestations, disease and pharmaceutical and feral waste from fish farms, the head of one of the largest Scandinavian fish farm companies finally admits—the net pens are damaging wild fish populations.”
Mad Science?
But humans, even science, are not deterred. The US Food and Drug Administration is “seriously considering approval of the first genetically engineered food animal for human consumption – a GMO salmon that grows at twice the rate of natural salmon. A Frankenstein fish designed by Man to once again, out-engineer Nature.”
The new fish designed by humans, will have growth hormones from Chinook (Quinnat) salmon.
It’s not all gloom and doom however. He approves that dams that impede spawning runs are being decommissioned. “Dam removal is really important, but it isn’t the key to recovering wild salmon and steelhead.”
Author Dylan Tomine markets his admirable environmental conscience and strong advocacy with engaging at times humorous recollections of fly fishing here and there, travel and adventure and his own maturing as a person and fly fisherman.
The book is an account of a man’s adventures and travels as a fly fisherman, a writer and a person, skilfully woven into where he now is and his strong advocacy for the rivers and fish he cherishes and values – and the strong desire to leave them in a better state for his children.
If you are a caring angler, get a copy. Strongly recommended.
Footnote: “Headwaters” by Dylan Tomine, published by Patagonia. The book can be purchased from https://www.patagonia.co.nz/collections/books or through a local bookseller.
Adding hatchery fish to a wild population can cause problems for the wild stocks which over several decades have evolved their distinctive genetic makeup. Hatchery fish can impair that natural genetic character, cause competition for food, and spawning pressure on wild fish spawning. Notwithstanding obviously liberations are needed in the first place such as when trout and salmon were first introduced to NZ.