Fishing report: Closing hatchery short-sighted idea
By David Mordavsky
for the Journal Inquirer
Published: Saturday, February 19, 2011 1:22 AM EST
The biennial budget, presented by Governor Malloy this week, included a line item to close Kensington Fish Hatchery. The line item is listed on page B77 of the budget and projects a savings of approximately $443,000 each year.
In the scheme of the state, this is a miniscule amount of the total budget. The elimination of Kensington Fish Hatchery would be totally destructive of fish propagation in Connecticut.
Here’s why:
•
The cost of operating KFH, including fish feed, electricity, maintenance, supplies and fuel is $95,000 to $100,000 annually.
•
KFH produces 3 million salmon eggs and 1 million trout eggs annually. KFH provides 1 million salmon eggs to cooperative federal and state hatcheries involved in the Atlantic salmon restoration program. The result of this production provides fish and/or eggs to the programs for Atlantic salmon restoration, wild trout, schools, statewide annual trout production and sea run trout.
•
Surplus brown trout eggs have been distributed to other states.
•
KFH has the only known disease-free stock of seeforellen brown trout.
•
Additionally, its wells are producing the same or better quantity and quality of water since being drilled in the 1960s, due to the absence of iron in the water.
The most unique feature of the hatchery is its water quality. Its well water has an unusual quality of having a high pH, a high total hardness and a high akalinity, resulting in a superior fish culture environment for producing salmon and brown trout.
•
As a result of the water quality, updated pond and electrical systems, the KFH fulfills its obligation to the federal interstate Atlantic salmon program, as well as providing an abundance of fish to Connecticut waters.
•
What is presently produced at KFH will not be made up by other state hatcheries. So whatever is lost is gone forever. Each hatchery is maxed out with what they produce.
•
Who else actually produces a product for the public to help people relax and enjoy the outdoors? It plays an integral role in the "No Child Left Inside" initiative.
•
The above points show, beyond any doubt, that the KFH is a definite and true asset to the state of Connecticut, a jewel in the world of fish culture.
Anglers should be affronted, alarmed and anxious about the proposed closure of KFH. The sport provides ancillary revenue to the state through taxes, registrations and licenses, for fuel, food, lodging, boats, motors, trailers, tackle, clothing, electronics, etc. This is a multi-million dollar expenditure annually in Connecticut that stays in Connecticut.
Contact your local legislators, both Representatives and Senators, to retain the KFH and vote to remove its closure from Governor Malloy’s budget cuts.
KFH is also involved with supplying salmon for the Connecticut school program, "Fish Friends."
_________________
By David Mordavsky
for the Journal Inquirer
Published: Saturday, February 19, 2011 1:22 AM EST
The biennial budget, presented by Governor Malloy this week, included a line item to close Kensington Fish Hatchery. The line item is listed on page B77 of the budget and projects a savings of approximately $443,000 each year.
In the scheme of the state, this is a miniscule amount of the total budget. The elimination of Kensington Fish Hatchery would be totally destructive of fish propagation in Connecticut.
Here’s why:
•
The cost of operating KFH, including fish feed, electricity, maintenance, supplies and fuel is $95,000 to $100,000 annually.
•
KFH produces 3 million salmon eggs and 1 million trout eggs annually. KFH provides 1 million salmon eggs to cooperative federal and state hatcheries involved in the Atlantic salmon restoration program. The result of this production provides fish and/or eggs to the programs for Atlantic salmon restoration, wild trout, schools, statewide annual trout production and sea run trout.
•
Surplus brown trout eggs have been distributed to other states.
•
KFH has the only known disease-free stock of seeforellen brown trout.
•
Additionally, its wells are producing the same or better quantity and quality of water since being drilled in the 1960s, due to the absence of iron in the water.
The most unique feature of the hatchery is its water quality. Its well water has an unusual quality of having a high pH, a high total hardness and a high akalinity, resulting in a superior fish culture environment for producing salmon and brown trout.
•
As a result of the water quality, updated pond and electrical systems, the KFH fulfills its obligation to the federal interstate Atlantic salmon program, as well as providing an abundance of fish to Connecticut waters.
•
What is presently produced at KFH will not be made up by other state hatcheries. So whatever is lost is gone forever. Each hatchery is maxed out with what they produce.
•
Who else actually produces a product for the public to help people relax and enjoy the outdoors? It plays an integral role in the "No Child Left Inside" initiative.
•
The above points show, beyond any doubt, that the KFH is a definite and true asset to the state of Connecticut, a jewel in the world of fish culture.
Anglers should be affronted, alarmed and anxious about the proposed closure of KFH. The sport provides ancillary revenue to the state through taxes, registrations and licenses, for fuel, food, lodging, boats, motors, trailers, tackle, clothing, electronics, etc. This is a multi-million dollar expenditure annually in Connecticut that stays in Connecticut.
Contact your local legislators, both Representatives and Senators, to retain the KFH and vote to remove its closure from Governor Malloy’s budget cuts.
KFH is also involved with supplying salmon for the Connecticut school program, "Fish Friends."
_________________
While numbers are great and impressive, I think the most important thing here is the obvious one: closing KFH will mean closing the door on any hope of Atlantic salmon being in CT.
This would be a real shame. We've invested millions/billions into a restoration effort for it to close for the sake of 400k? The demand to see this particular fish succeed is huge across the population, whether you want to be able to hook one, see one, or just be able to read a story in the paper about a species making a comeback in a world of species having setbacks and failures.
It was mentioned that the other hatcheries are tapped and salmon would not be grown at either location. I have a hard time believing its the high pH thing somehow unique to Kensington. High pH is great and is a nice buffer in the falling pH world of intensive aquaculture, but it shouldn't be a deal-breaker.
Why not scrap some Brown trout production or scrap the Kokanees? That was just off my head as a place to start, in reality that's probably a drop in the bucket as far as having an impact; Burlington raises enough Kokanee to fill a single lake.
I plan on following this story closely and will be contacting my local Rep. Hopefully there will be a great outcry and KFH will continue operation.
This would be a real shame. We've invested millions/billions into a restoration effort for it to close for the sake of 400k? The demand to see this particular fish succeed is huge across the population, whether you want to be able to hook one, see one, or just be able to read a story in the paper about a species making a comeback in a world of species having setbacks and failures.
It was mentioned that the other hatcheries are tapped and salmon would not be grown at either location. I have a hard time believing its the high pH thing somehow unique to Kensington. High pH is great and is a nice buffer in the falling pH world of intensive aquaculture, but it shouldn't be a deal-breaker.
Why not scrap some Brown trout production or scrap the Kokanees? That was just off my head as a place to start, in reality that's probably a drop in the bucket as far as having an impact; Burlington raises enough Kokanee to fill a single lake.
I plan on following this story closely and will be contacting my local Rep. Hopefully there will be a great outcry and KFH will continue operation.
Isnt it bad enough that Quinnebaug Valley Hatchery was closed to
fishing,That was quite the experience fishing for trout that would snap 12 lb test.So now gov types want to shut down Kensington. Hey why doesnt the State hike up License fees while they're at it.Salmon used to abound in Ct,and could do so again,knock down a couple of dams and throw a couple politicians into the drink ,and for god sake leave our fisheries alone,I am proud of Cts DEP but as of late I dont know!
fishing,That was quite the experience fishing for trout that would snap 12 lb test.So now gov types want to shut down Kensington. Hey why doesnt the State hike up License fees while they're at it.Salmon used to abound in Ct,and could do so again,knock down a couple of dams and throw a couple politicians into the drink ,and for god sake leave our fisheries alone,I am proud of Cts DEP but as of late I dont know!
knock down a couple of dams and throw a couple politicians into the drink ,and for god sake leave our fisheries alone
Well said uglyfish! I remember the DEP has knocked down a number of dams across CT, but they were targeting Herring runs if memory serves. Blueback herring and even Alewife too are in sorry condition last I knew. Finding a politician that wants to pick up our cross is a toughy. There are so many other worthy problems abounding that we get pushed to the back and I can't say my problems are greater than my neighbors'.
I get amazed at the complexity of nature. Dams are a huge, man-made problem. Managing a large fishery, however, is way more complex than a few dams. Predator/prey relationsips, inter-species competition, intra-species competition, and weather are just a short list. If you get National Geographic (magazine) then you may have read about the Sockeye out west. This year was the best return ever. Last year was the worst return ever. Who knows what next year will be, but it's certain it will not be the same as this year. You can't have too many fish succeed. A large, successful return means a large young-of-year (YOY) population in the water the following Spring. These fish all compete with each other for the same foods and there is only so much to go around. There is natural-selection and there is human-selection, the two of which seem to butt heads alot.
Well said uglyfish! I remember the DEP has knocked down a number of dams across CT, but they were targeting Herring runs if memory serves. Blueback herring and even Alewife too are in sorry condition last I knew. Finding a politician that wants to pick up our cross is a toughy. There are so many other worthy problems abounding that we get pushed to the back and I can't say my problems are greater than my neighbors'.
I get amazed at the complexity of nature. Dams are a huge, man-made problem. Managing a large fishery, however, is way more complex than a few dams. Predator/prey relationsips, inter-species competition, intra-species competition, and weather are just a short list. If you get National Geographic (magazine) then you may have read about the Sockeye out west. This year was the best return ever. Last year was the worst return ever. Who knows what next year will be, but it's certain it will not be the same as this year. You can't have too many fish succeed. A large, successful return means a large young-of-year (YOY) population in the water the following Spring. These fish all compete with each other for the same foods and there is only so much to go around. There is natural-selection and there is human-selection, the two of which seem to butt heads alot.