Operations could change at a provincially owned fish hatchery in Fort Qu’Appelle, Sask., after a request from the Fish and Wildlife Development Fund’s steering committee.
Environment minister Ken Cheveldayoff said the committee approached the government with ideas about how to better operate the facility, which raises mainly walleye and trout.
“We’re undertaking some consultations right now to see what the wider stakeholders feel about this,” he told reporters.
He said the facility is not for sale, nor is it being privatized. No job loss is contemplated, and hatchery administrators would still report to the environment minister.
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The fund was established in 1970 for habitat conservation. Thirty percent of revenue from trapping, fishing and hunting licenses sold in Saskatchewan goes to the fund.
Fund members include the Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation, the Saskatchewan Fly Fishers Association and Nature Saskatchewan.
Arm’s length operation by fund members would allow for more ministry money to be directed to improving the hatchery or for more staffing, according to information provided by the government. Private donations are not permissible, but could be in the future. As well, the hatchery could produce fish for other clients once commitments to the province are met. Money from those sales could be put back into hatchery operations and improvement.
A review of hatchery operations in 2009, which was part of a larger fund review, noted that the facility was last updated in the mid-1980s and needs modernization. Concerns included water supply, biosecurity and environmental standards.
