EASTERN SIERRA MOUNTAINS–California’s Department of Fish and Wildlife has informed its stocking plan for the Eastern Sierras, granting trout to be embed in those areas despite the closure of three hatcheries.
The closed hatcheries, which were located in the Eastern Sierras and Southern California, afforded trout to reservoirs in Mono and Inyo counties. Those hatcheries- Mojave River, Black Rock and Fish Springs- were forced to shut down after they were adulterated with a bacterial outbreak. CDFW staff tried to treat those hatcheries, but the struggles were unsuccessful.
The outbreak lead to 3.2 million fish being euthanized. Each of the three hatcheries “mustve been” decontaminated, as well. Euthanizing the fish and decontaminating the hatcheries were necessary to stop the spread of Lactococcus garvieae.
Staff with the CDFW Hatchery Program made a “Plan B, ” which, according to a statement issued by CDFW, would “ensure that plant could continue in some capacity.”
CDFW staff accepted anglers were “understandably concerned about reduced fishing opportunity for the remainder of 2020 and into 2021. ”
“CDFW’s multiphase stocking program calls for the reallocation of fish from lower priority liquids in other parts of the state to the highest use oceans in areas normally planted by the depopulated hatcheries this time of year, ” CDFW staff said in a released account. “During’ phase one’( which began the last week of July and will run through mid-October ), 16 sea torsoes in the Inland Desert and South Coast fields is likely to be furnished with fish from the Moccasin Creek and San Joaquin hatcheries.”
The second phase begins in mid-October and will continue through early springtime. Southern California locales “wouldve been” stocked by the Fillmore Hatchery. Stocking will depend upon whether water temperatures cool down fairly for planting.
Phase three will take place in the spring and time of 2021; CDFW staff said the department would “address stocking for the trout openers and summertime angling opportunities” during phase three.
The list of seas- and how many fish would be seeded at each waterway- during the second and third phases is also being finalized by CDFW staff.
“The loss of 3.2 million fish is careening, but we absolutely recognize the importance of these fisheries, and we are doing everything we can to minimize the impact of this loss to anglers and local communities that depend on them, while balancing the needs of the rest of the state, ” Jay Rowan, CDFW’s statewide hatchery program manager, explained.
Hot Creek Hatchery near Mammoth, which was not affected by the bacterial eruption, will continue to plant trout at its Eastern Sierra spots as scheduled.
The three hatcheries affected by the outbreak are still being cleaned. CDFW staff said they hope to have all three hatcheries back online by the fall or winter of 2021.
Anyone who has questions or concerns about the outbreak should contact CDFW staff via email at hatcherybacteriainfo @wildlife. ca.gov.
https://www.fishrapnews.com/features/eastern-sierra-waters-continue-to-receive-fish-plants/