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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2001

A federal judge in Oregon last week stripped away legal protections for coho salmon under federal law.

The National Marine Fisheries Service had listed the coho salmon as threatened. But U.S. District Judge Michael Hogan said the listing didn't take into account coho salmon from a hatchery and struck down civil and criminal penalties for harming wild salmon.

The NMFS considered the hatchery fish separate from wild stocks.

The ruling could have an effect on salmon restoration efforts in the entire Pacific Northwest. A number of species are threatened or endangered but if hatchery populations are taken into account, the designations may change.

Get the Story:
Ore. ruling challenges restoring of salmon (The Seattle Times 9/17)