The state of California plans to shut down its smallest fish hatchery this summer, claiming that onerous regulations, expensive repairs, and limited results make it too difficult to keep the facility operating.
Located in Humboldt County in Northern California, the Mad River Fish Hatchery will release its final fish this spring before shutting down completely in June, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW).
“Quite simply, the steelhead program is no longer viable,” Northern Region Inland Fisheries Program Manager Jason Roberts said in a statement. “The Mad River Fish Hatchery is no longer providing much if any conservation benefit to the species nor the intended recreation or sport fishing benefits in the Mad River. The careful review of these resources indicated they could be better used elsewhere. Our focus now is implementing a transition plan for employees, equipment and resources, repurposing the buildings and making sure the property remains open and accessible for the public to access the Mad River.”
Originally opened in 1971, the hatchery has raised Chinook salmon, inland salmon, rainbow trout, and steelhead trout, although only the steelhead and trout programs are still operational.
According to CDFW, the facility has become increasingly difficult to run while providing far fewer returns than other state-run hatcheries.
Operations were complicated by the fact that the northern California steelhead in the Mad River is a federally listed threatened species, requiring federal oversight of hatchery operations. Federal rules capped production limits to just 150,000 fish, CDFW said, and staff had to conduct biological monitoring to ensure hatchery releases did not impact wild populations. Officials said the state would need to spend tens of millions of dollars to repair and modernize the facility to federal requirements.
