Gone fishing

According to Eric Hutchings, aquaculture specialist with Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, there are five fish enterprises in Alberta:

Despite its landlocked geography, Alberta is rich in fish. Farmed fish, that is, trout, Arctic char, tilapia, triploid grass carp and eel.

• Fingerling production – Operators raise fingerlings (young fish) for sale to recreational licence holders, other commercial fish farmers, labs and wholesalers.
• Table food market production – Operators grow fingerlings to table market size for restaurants, food stores, farmers’ markets, etc.
• U-fish operations – Producers stock ponds with ready-to-catch fish for recreational fishing.
• Contract growing – Operators contract their services to raise and grow rainbow trout for stocking select ponds. The Alberta Conservation Association is responsible for the contracts and stocking. The water bodies include some of the small municipal lakes and ponds for recreational fishing.
• Biological grass control carp – Operators raise sterile carp for weed control in water and for research purposes. Ready for a little fishing yourself? U-Fish farms offer fishing opportunities, on-site for a fee. Most often, the fee is based on a flat rate and/or the size of the fish caught. Many operators have a “keep everything you catch” rule and you can expect to find rainbow trout as the most commonly stocked fish.

Web site: www.affa.ab.ca.