Submitted by shauna_sherard on Fri, 2015-09-25 10:28 Conservation West of The Rockies Trout Magazine Southeast Alaska Vote Up Down +3 + Screen Shot 2015-09-25 at 11.21.15 AM.png Trout Unlimited's John McMillan got a chance to talk steelhead with Seattle's King 5 network this week. At the top of his list was a proposal that will designate certain rivers in the Puget Sound area as gene banks - rivers that will be managed for wild fish without the addition of hatchery plants. The proposal is still under consideration by Washington's Department of Fish and Wildlife. TU's Wild Steelheaders United has been a strong supporter of the proposal, noting the studies that have shown that presence of hatchery fish can be detrimental to wild populations. The WSU supports recovering wild steelhead populations, but also acknowledges the opportunity hatchery fish bring for anglers. The challenge will be finding the places best suited for recovering wild fish, and conversely, finding the places most appropriate for hatchery fish. "We think the best approach is it doesn't have to be an all or nothing approach over the hatchery issue. We can come together as anglers and find a balance," McMillan told King 5. For more information on the gene bank proposal, visit wildsteelheaders.org.