A Review of a Decade of Anadromous Salmonid Hatchery (And Stocking) Research: Insights for Policy, Management and a Changing Climate

Abstract

Hatcheries and stocking programmes have long been a cornerstone of fisheries management, seen as tools for fisheries enhancement and/or conservation of threatened populations. Their use draws controversy, however, from a growing body of research over the last 50 years suggesting that stocking can have negative consequences for wild stocks, and yet remains valued in many contexts. This study systematically reviews a decade (2012–2021) of peer‐reviewed literature to investigate several aspects of hatcheries and stocking programmes in salmonid conservation and fisheries enhancement in the Pacific and Atlantic basins. Our interdisciplinary research team reviewed both natural and social science literature across three literature databases. A total of 459 natural science and 88 social science articles were included following two rounds of screening. Those articles were evaluated for several interdisciplinary questions including geographic and species focus, key messages and management recommendations, and presence of Indigenous and local knowledge and climate change considerations. Results reveal disciplinary and geographic trends in how hatcheries were discussed, with a persistent lack of definitional clarity around hatchery types and goals. Notably rare in the literature were studies that included Indigenous Knowledge systems or local ecological knowledge. Very few studies meaningfully integrated climate change as an analytical lens despite its increasing relevance to salmonid conservation and human–salmon relationships. We argue for clearer reporting, greater integration of climate considerations to the field, and stronger inclusion of diverse knowledge systems and priorities, particularly Indigenous‐centred, to advance a more effective dialogue on hatcheries for fisheries enhancement and conservation.

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