The public and fishery managers have widely different views on several issues, including the effect of predators such as seals and sea lions on salmon, the role of hatcheries, and the importance of wild fish. There is strong support for compensating private landowners for protecting and restoring salmon. The public has no greater than moderate confidence in institutions and organizations dealing with salmon - a confidence level of 3 on a scale of 1 to 5. The distance between public and professional opinion was clear in response to a question which asked the relative importance of certain factors for the future of salmon, Smith said. While most professionals would argue that reducing predators like seals and sea lions, increasing hatchery production, and eliminating ocean driftnets fall decidedly on the less important end of the scale, the public thinks that reducing marine mammals and stopping ocean driftnetting are very important.
Opinions also contrast on hatcheries.
While nearly all salmon biologists now argue that hatchery production should be decreased and changed to avoid harming wild fish runs, only 20 percent of respondents agree. They see hatcheries as at least part of the solution. In reviewing the 500 responses, Smith and Gilden wanted to see if there was any factor which would help leaders of salmon restoration understand what would motivate coastal people to restore the salmon. They examined variables like age, income, and education but found that the most critical factors in shaping people's opinions about salmon were their values and beliefs. A key question noted that trade-offs between the environment and the economy could be involved in salmon restoration and asked respondents to place themselves on a scale from favoring the environment to favoring economic considerations.