As the title states, Fisheries Biologists at the Wild Rose Hatchery in central Wisconsin, believe they can improve what they do best, raise lots of healthy fish for stocking. The problem lies with how many of these stocked fish will survive to adulthood once released in the State’s many lakes and rivers. A very small percentage of stocked fish survive in any State and all waterways. These fish have not yet learned to survive in the wild.
“The philosophy of most fish hatcheries is to rear a large number of fish and hope some survive” Victoria Braithwaite, Professor of Fisheries and Biology, Penn State University
Raised in captivity, fish don’t have a chance to learn how to navigate and hunt, ambush and hide from direct sun and predators. Research has shown signs of improved brain function and development in fish raised in tanks with artificial habitat. “Interacting with the environment can influence gene expression in the brain”, Braithwaite said.
One goal of the study is to “teach” more of these fish to survive in the wild, by giving them a more realistic habitat to be raised in. Another huge benefit will be, having to produce less fish for stocking as far more will survive, thus reducing costs.
Comparison of Muskie growth, conversion and survival in plastic lined ponds with and without artificial structures.
Our plan (WDNR) is to rear approx. 1000 Great Lakes strain of Spotted Muskie in 4, one half acre lined ponds. The fish will come from Michigan DNR’s Wolf Lake Fish Hatchery and should arrive in Wisconsin in early September. Two of the ponds the GLS Muskies will go into will have no structures. The other two ponds will have 75 Safehouse artificial fish structures from “Fishiding” in each pond. The Muskies will be fed minnows and held in the hatchery for approx. 10 months. At that time, each pond will be drained, all Muskies counted weighed and measured. The fish will then be PIT tagged and released into 3 inland Lakes in Wisconsin. Managers will be netting these lakes after release and will scan all Muskies for PIT tags.
PIT tags, also known as Passive Integrated Transponders, have individual numbers that will be unique to each fish. The tag is the size of a grain of Wild Rice and should remain in the fish its entire life. The lakes stocked will likely be Anderson and Archibald in Oconto county and Big Elkhart Lake in Sheboygan County. Read on….