Close all Minnesota DNR fish hatcheries?

    A bill was introduced this week in the Minnesota House of Representatives that would require the Department of Natural Resources to close all of its fish hatcheries by the year 2014. The lead author of the bill is Rep. Denny McNamara (R-St. Paul), and Rep. David Dill (DFL-Crane Lake) is a co-author.

    The Department of Natural Resources raises most of the fish it stocks, although it buys some from private hatcheries. One of the state's coldwater hatcheries is at French River.

    "[The bill] was introduced so we could have the discussion," Dill said Friday. "It certainly doesn't mean we don't want to stock as much as we've ever stocked. The private producers think they can do it cheaper, and the DNR admits they can do it cheaper."

    The bill is House File No. 1143.

        As written, the bill calls for hatcheries to reduce production 20 percent from 2008 levels in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012.

     It also calls for the DNR to close two of its three tree nurseries within two years, and close the third by 2014.

Posted by: samcook on 2/27/2009 at 3:05 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink