Many environmentalists are no fans of fish hatcheries, which generate the big fish that anglers like but disrupt ecosystems in streams and rivers. The book “An Entirely Synthetic Fish” about the development and spread of the rainbow trout, tells the story well, including the fact that one of the spurs was fear that industrialized American men were becoming wimpy and needed to get out in the woods more.
New Hampshire wants to spend more on its state hatcheries, much to the delight of some folks and the dismay of others, as reported by New Hampshire Bulletin (here):
Fish hatcheries were originally built because overfishing had decimated fish populations in the state as early as the late 1800s. Now, those who want to do away with them have to make the case for more restrictions on fishing.
“It’s socially, politically easier to stock fish than to protect what’s there because protecting what’s there requires concessions that anglers don’t like,”
Return to the Concord Monitor
So glad that the state is addressing this issue and making the necessary improvements to not only protect the water supply but invest in our tourism economy.
This is a step in the right direction to help keep our rivers cleaner. There will always be someone or some group complaining with no actual solution to the problem at hand that takes into account all stake holders needs. Keep going .
NH coldwater fisheries will certainly benefit from these improvements and produce bigger trout for anglers to catch.
BalancIng the need for wild and stocked fish is critical. NH Fish and Game does a great job in keeping our fisheries balanced and sustainable by meeting the diverse needs of anglers.
This is a great use of taxpayer dollars. One of the few positive trends that resulted from the covid pandemic is the significant increase in folks recreating outdoors including fishing. We need to support that trend and the vast majority of cold water angling in our state is based on hatchery raised fish. Updating the hatchery system would allow the state to meet that demand in more ecologically sound ways. Reducing or eliminating the stocking program would result in less positive angling experiences which would result in fewer people enjoying this great sport. Naturally reproducing fish would be decimated if the number of anglers that we have now were forced to fish only on the average 2″ – 6″ brook trout.
The current hatchery facilities are long overdue for upgrades and modernization. This will increase efficiency, improve quality, and preserve the important outdoor experience for granite state anglers and their guests.
These improvements will be a great benefit to NH coldwater fisheries and we should support NH Fish and Game in this effort.
I’m all for the improvements. As much as I’d like see more wild trout, NH just doesn’t have enough suitable habitat to produce enough fish for the number of anglers we have. Improve the hatcheries, improve the fishing and improve tourism.