HATCHERIES continued from page 65
decades. Road building, forestry operations and over-fishing were obvious culprits, but serious threats were posed also by the good intentions behind hatcheries. Trout were stocked into pristine lakes they had not previously inhabited, with unknown impacts on a host of other creatures. Predatory small-mouthed bass and pike were stocked across the Park where they did not occur naturally, and where they could wreak havoc on amphibians and young trout. Less obviously, the old “one size fits all” approach to stocking almost certainly affected the gene pool of natural populations of trout. The future, they say, is hard
to see. Nature is no clairvoyant. It copes with the unexpected with genetic diversity, some of which will survive. Without it, a species is vulnerable. The protection of genetic diversity has become a cornerstone of conservation. At least half of current stocking in the Province is now aimed at safeguarding wild fish. Conservation needs
notwithstanding, a lot of us like to fish, and enjoy eating our catch. Fishing is a very Canadian pursuit, and modern fish culture stations cater to this need. Basically, they replace what we take. They tailor fish to our desires, whether we seek pan-fries or trophies. Breeds of fast-growing fish have been developed. There are now techniques for sterilising fish (especially males) even before they
66 BOUNDER MAGAZINE
STOCKING MAP FROM A PRIZE-WINNING GRADE 11 ESSAY “PETAWAWA FISH HATCHERY” BY JEN, THE AUTHOR’S DAUGHTER.
(the competition was sponsored by the Canadian Geographic Society in 1988)
hatch. Without expending energy to mate, the hapless creatures grow bigger; because they are sterile they don’t interfere with wild fish. Well-designed fish culture programs alleviate pressure on those all-important wild populations. On occasion, they have even brought fish back from the brink of extinction. My home during those early
forays into Algonquin Park was practically next door to the Petawawa Fish Culture Station. Clean water flowing beneath us was tapped by a ditch as it seeped out of Petawawa’s sandy escarpment. The Station occupied some 200 hectares of forest and wetlands between Laurentian Drive and the Ottawa River, a pocket wilderness on our doorstep. Beginning in 1929, the hatchery ran continuously for 65 years. Each year, thousands of brook trout and lake trout were raised for lakes in the region. The Upper Ottawa Valley and adjacent Park became a fishing mecca for residents and visitors alike. The Station was also involved in early and ultimately successful attempts to re-establish
elk in Ontario. And, somewhat misguidedly, ponds were dug to encourage Canada geese to stay and breed; to this day the ponds remain occupied by these now unwelcome critters. In 1994, Petawawa operations
were transferred to North Bay and White Lake Fish Culture stations; at the same time, OMNR announced the Petawawa Terrace Provincial Park, occupying the entire site of the former hatchery. Now in its third decade, it is a surprisingly lovely place to visit, with almost 10 km of trails wandering through a rich mixture of forests and wetlands, and interesting remnants of former hatchery operations. There may no longer be trout in some of the haunts of my youth, but the old hatchery has left a wonderful legacy for all to enjoy. When you think about it, anglers
are critical to the survival of wild fish. Who else has a stake in these beautiful creatures? By the same token, hatcheries need anglers. It is a nice symbiosis, and the hatcheries are keeping their part of the bargain. Fish on, guys!
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