I am glad an infinitesimal part of my tax dollars go to raising native fish. Having worked with contractors and seeing the wide range of quality from them, I'd rather have government hatcheries than low-bid private hatcheries. The main problem is what fish they are told to raise, such as hybrids, and the public should give more pressure to focus on native stock. Folks that are on the NANFA forum may run a good hatchery (I am not criticizing, there are several good ones I'd love to see funding go to), but they will be lowballed by hacks if it comes to private competition. Several State governments that I am aware of the internal workings use private contractors to supplement the hatchery program have lots of problems with low bidders, including contaminated stock, poor quality fish, questionable genetics, etc... Not all contracts for fish go out to bid, but the ones that do are problematic. Paddlefish roe collection from fishers is better than commercial caught caviar, they also collect the skins for leather. I imagine it is up to the State to regulate how they do that, it is not Obama's fault as the title of the post suggests. Earlier post suggesting that conservation programs will prevent people from feeding their families? Really??? I'd suggest that the target of that ire should be the food aid to North Korea or something else that expends more than fish hatcheries, and not native fish. Agreed--go fishing!

Finally, a government agency that out-performs private enterprise. I can sleep better now.

You paint a pretty broad swath when you place all private hatcheries on the dirty list. No hatchery will produce a species no one wants. State and federal guidelines, not to mention the market, assure the end user that all species are disease free and healthy. We are not a fly-by-night industry. . It's not like we're churning out grass carp and Neogobius melanstomus and surreptitiously stocking them in public waters. Hatcheries contract with state agencies for specific species to be placed in specific areas mandated by those agencies.

We grow the fish that the stocking community will buy. The fish states will stock are mostly sport fish to further their bread and butter, recreational fishing.

More hybrid striped bass are stocked in Kentucky than any other species. Tiger musky are thrown into impoundments without regard to the iimpact to the piscean community. Most largemouth bass are produced with size in mind, not genetic purity. Threadfin and gizzard shad have overtaken native forage fish in most landlocked impoundments. All of this is brought to you by your state fisheries biologist. There goes the neighborhood! With a couple of exceptions, most state DNR agencies stock purely for the recreational fisherman. After all, that's how they fund their departments, with license fees.

Agreed that commercial paddlefish operations are not as sustainable as collecting roe from anglers. That's why we practice reservoir ranching. My beef is that the state is using my tax dollars to fund a business that is in direct competition to me. That's called socialism and so begins the end of this 234 year experiment in democracy. Watch Dr. Zhivago to find out how it all ends.

This topic is dangerously close to being closed because it is drifting into a political discussion (which is not permitted). While it is OK to discuss specific policies that affect native fish, it is not OK to discuss political issues in general. Please refrain from such discussion.

State and federal guidelines, not to mention the market, assure the end user that all species are disease free and healthy.

Whirling disease in MD

These fish, which were 'certified disease free', came from a private hatchery in WV.

From what I've been told, market pressures encourage hatcheries with diseased stock to send off their fish even if they suspect they have whirling disease. As a result, Maryland is planning to phase out stocked trout from private hatcheries to improve biosecurity.

This topic is dangerously close to being closed because it is drifting into a political discussion (which is not permitted). While it is OK to discuss specific policies that affect native fish, it is not OK to discuss political issues in general. Please refrain from such discussion.

Sorry about that, didn't see it in the forum guidelines. I guess I have a politically(and otherwise) argumentative personality.


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Finally, a government agency that out-performs private enterprise. I can sleep better now.

You paint a pretty broad swath when you place all private hatcheries on the dirty list.

Bigfishfarm reread my post if you think I said all private hatcheries are "on the dirty list". I did not say that (and yes, you can sleep better now if you want to), however you are also making broad generalizations here with the government hatcheries and I think a few people are chiming in based more on politics than the benefit of native fish. You may operate a stellar fish hatchery, if so then kudos to you. Then I'd like to see you get some contracts for native fish. I repeat: there are several good private hatcheries that I know of, and on the other side of the coin I agree that government-run hatcheries also do stupid things and make mistakes (as do lots of private-run operations), especially with salmonids. Given this they are open to more scrutiny than private-run operations. Governments are not the only client of hatcheries, there are also hobbyist-related buyers (i.e. tropical fish industry), bait fish, as well as landowners that have ponds. Private fish hatcheries would be contractors, and government contractors have always been a mixed bag, especially when the government is often required to go with the low bidder regardless of their quality. I bet gizzard shad and sick fish (see FishheadDave's post, he is right) are included in contaminated stock from low bidding sloppy hatcheries more often than some lazy overpaid government goon as certain people would like to imagine. If we are looking at native fish, I trust the people I know that currently run government hatcheries which I have inspected and worked with, and the several private hatcheries that I know of that specialize in native fish, not low bidders. It is beneficial for native fish to have government run hatcheries, to remove that tool would be a shame. I'm all for additional funding to go to private hatcheries that are reliable and will put out a good product to raise native fish, but not as a detriment to the existing conservation programs, including government hatcheries, for rare fish.

I do not believe that I am inserting politics in this discussion, but others are. Personally I think conservation, ethics, and politics are all, albeit unfortunately, related, but I respect the forum rules. Let me know if I step out of line and include politricks!

Sorry about that, didn't see it in the forum guidelines. I guess I have a politically(and otherwise) argumentative personality.

Posted at the top of this forum specifically :

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I say shut all state and federal hatcheries down. There are hundreds of private hatcheries vying for this business.

I'm sick and tired of giving quotes for paddlefish fry and armlings to states and municipalities only to find that those contracts have been fulfilled by government-run hatcheries. When tax dollars fund the salaries and infrastructure of my competition, I cannot come close to price.

I now pay taxes to fund my competition.

This has also crept into my bread and butter-caviar production. North Dakota and Oklahoma have created state-run caviar companies that compete with private enterprise on an international scale. Three other states are looking at this as a source of revenue. Paddlefish fishermen, by law, must use the states' cleaning stations. The cleaning stations process the meat for free and keep the roe. It's just plain wrong.

I understand why you would be so adamant.....but some state fisheries here have helped bring back native smallmouth bass and are working to save the Ozark subspecies of hellbender, so I feel that maybe the real problem is that the government is using these hatcheries to compete with private business instead of what these hatcheries should be doing, saving our natural resources. I also agree that state hatcheries should not be stocking non-native fish in our lakes and rivers.