ENGLEHART - Upgrades to an Englehart fish hatchery mean more fish diving into waterways across the northeast.
Ontario over $75 million to update the provincial fish hatchery program at three critical stations in Northern Ontario.
The Hill's Lake Fish Culture Station in Englehart is one of the sites being upgraded, along with the Blue Jay Creek site on Manitoulin Island, and the North Bay Fish Culture Station.
“These investments are great news for fishing enthusiasts across Ontario. We are modernizing Ontario’s world-class fish culture and stocking program making sure we are best positioned to meet current and future needs,” said Graydon Smith, Minister of Natural Resources, in a news release.
“These improvements will contribute to the sustainable management of fish populations and add to the economic and social benefits of fishing in Ontario.”
In Englehart, the money will mean a new early rearing area, an advanced rearing area, garage and workshop areas, and a visit centre.
"The early rearing area will be improved with technology that will allow for more efficient and effective control of water temperatures to support optimal fish growth rates. New modern fish tanks will also be used to improve procedures for both early and advanced rearing," reads the news release.
The site was built in 1938, was rebuilt in 1978 and is one of the latest stations in the province. It raises and stocks about 530,000 fish that go into the region every year, the majority in fisheries management zones 7, 8, 10 and 11. The species raised there include lake trout, splake, aurora trout, brook trout and rainbow trout.
