Muskie Hatchery Stirs Interest in Aquaculture at Fleming College

No one thought that in its first year of production, a tiny 6-tank Muskellunge (Esox masquinongy) research facility would produce more than 200 fall fingerlings for reintroduction into Lake Simcoe, located in southern Ontario. The research facility, which was converted from a college classroom into a hatchery, is located at Sir Sandford Fleming College (SSFC) in Lindsay, Ontario. It is part of a collaborative effort aimed at restoring Muskellunge populations for the Lake Simcoe Muskellunge Restoration Project and for restoration efforts in the Green Bay, Wisconsin. Among a host of partners, the main organizations involved are Muskies Canada Incorporated, an organization dedicated to Muskellunge sports fishing and research, and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (OMNR).

The Muskellunge rearing program has been guided by fish and wildlife program coordinator Al Chamberlain and supervised by fisheries technician and instructor Sasha Fernando. The facility is staffed with student workers and committed student volunteers. The program is based on rearing methods and culture techniques pioneered by Chamberlain as part of successful Muskellunge restoration efforts in Spanish River, Ontario. Read the Full Article published in the February 2008 issue of Fisheries (Vol 33 No 2).