Fish culture and stocking in Ontario

The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources operates nine provincial fish culture stations which produce approximately eight million fish each year for stocking into public waters.
 

What is fish culture and stocking?
Fish culture is the breeding and rearing of fish in an artificial environment.  The Ministry of Natural Resources’ Fish Culture Program incorporates fish nutrition, genetics, fish health, fish production planning, water quality management and engineering into the design and operation of its state-of-the-art fish culture stations, also known as hatcheries.  

Fish stocking is vital to the success of both the fish culture and fisheries management programs.  Fish stocking involves taking the fish from the tanks in the fish culture station, transporting them to the stocking site, and placing them into a lake or river.

Why are fish culture and stocking important?
Fish culture and stocking have been key components of the province’s Fish and Wildlife Program for over 100 years.  Ontario’s wetlands, lakes and rivers are home to diverse fish populations that provide important benefits to Ontarians.  This biodiversity enriches our lives and provides a healthy environment for us and future generations.  Recreational fishing, wildlife hunting and wildlife viewing contribute over $6.2 billion annually to our economy.  Of Ontario’s 12.3 million residents, 6.7 million participate in fishing, hunting, wildlife viewing and other fish- and wildlife-related recreational activities each year. More than one million licensed anglers fish Ontario’s waters each year, contributing $2.4 billion to the economy.  Together, these activities support more than 77,800 jobs.  

Many fish populations have been reduced or lost due to over-fishing, habitat degradation, pollution, the introduction of invasive species and other factors.  In the past, stocking was thought to be the best and only solution to restore fish populations.  Today, fish stocking is used in combination with harvest controls, habitat protection and restoration, public education, research and assessment, enforcement,and invasive species control.

Ontario’s fish culture and stocking program has two primary purposes:

• to rehabilitate native fish populations and enhance natural reproduction 
• to provide better and more diverse recreational angling opportunities

Rehabilitation
Rehabilitation stocking helps to re-establish naturally reproducing fish populations in areas where they have been suppressed or become locally extinct.  Rehabilitation, reintroduction, and maintenance of native stocks support Ontario’s Species at Risk and biodiversity conservation programs, and restore ecological, social, and economic benefits.  

One example of such a program is a collaborative effort to restore Atlantic salmon to Lake Ontario.  This species was completely eliminated from the lake by the late 1800s due to the combined effects of over-harvest, dam construction and habitat loss.  Since 2006, the Ministry of Natural Resources, with the help of over 50 dedicated partners, has stocked more than two million young Atlantic salmon into Lake Ontario. Large stretches of stream habitat have been rehabilitated. Field crews continue to monitor Atlantic salmon to track their progress.

Recreational angling
Fish culture and stocking can also be used to create hatchery-dependent fishing opportunities (i.e., put-grow-and-take fisheries) that are popular with anglers. In addition to providing recreational opportunities, put-grow-and-take stocking can also provide important biodiversity conservation benefits by diverting angling pressure away from lakes with naturally reproducing fish stocks that are sensitive to over-harvest.  

The Ministry of Natural Resources stocks about 1200 water bodies annually province-wide.  In most years, about half of the ministry’s cultured fish are stocked into Great Lakes waters.  Annual water body stocking lists are available through the ministry’s district offices.

The Ministry of Natural Resources also supports stocking projects led by local community groups.  Under the Community Fish and Wildlife Involvement Program, funding is provided to volunteer-operated, community hatcheries that rear fish for stocking into public waters.