The ISSUE:
In an effort to save money, and avoid future obligations the Governor has proposed shutting down the Salisbury, VT fish hatchery.

This hatchery provides the VAST majority of eggs used in our states fish stocking programs for trout. Closing the hatchery will save around 250k annually, and avoid future upgrade costs that could reach into the millions.

This plan however, also includes a temporary halt to trout stocking that will last anywhere from 2-7 years depending on the species. This halt is because new broodstock must be raised at the remaining hatcheries to fill the void, and that process takes several years.

As stocked fish such as Brown Trout and Rainbows have a 1-3 year life span once stocked, a multi-year halt on stocking will see trout populations around the state collapse. This will push fishermen to target other species, stressing those species as well. The impact of this closure would be felt for decades as the state tries to rebuild fish stocks that are diminished. It has taken over 30 years of stocking on Lake Champlain to get a vibrant Lake Trout fishery, this short sited proposal could reverse all of that work. Other impacted species will be Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Brook Trout, and Steelhead Trout.

What can you do?

Sign this petition, and contact your local state representatives. Tell them you want to keep trout fishing in Vermont! Let them know that the hatcheries in the state generate 38 million dollars in economic activity every year, and taxes from that activity more than pay for the cost of ALL of the hatcheries in the state.