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A Challenge by Dick Sherwin Opinion Letters, Lewiston Tribune, June 29, 2003

I challenge any individual, group or organization to provide answers to the following questions about anadromous fish:

• What, specifically, is the "genetic" difference between so-called wild fish and hatchery reared fish?

• If a genetic difference does exist between hatchery and wild fish will the offspring of hatchery fish, spawned in the wild, be wild or hatchery, genetically?

• If a specific genetic difference can be demonstrated, between hatchery and wild fish, is it significant enough to risk destroying the existing economic infrastructure of the area to preserve?

• If the four lower Snake River dams were breached can you assure the people of the region it would result in the return of satisfactory numbers of "genetically wild" fish?

• How would siltation, resulting from breaching the four dams, affect anadromous fish runs in the near future and in the long term?

• What economic stake does the environmental community have at risk if the dams are breached?

• Is the real motivation of the self- proclaimed environmental movement to protect and restore genetically wild fish runs or to breach the four lower Snake River dams?