Why does the county operate a fish hatchery?

Late last year, the County Board voted to preserve funding for the Milwaukee County Fish Hatchery in Franklin. Several people have asked me why the county operates this fish hatchery, and the short answer is because it helps the community and saves taxpayer money. Here’s how.

The fish hatchery is operated by the House of Correction. After inmates pass a rigorous screening, they are permitted to work at the hatchery under supervision. Because county inmates perform this work, Milwaukee County receives free labor while helping to rehabilitate prisoners.

Every year, approximately 40,000 fish are produced for county park ponds and lagoons, including Holler, Humboldt, Wilson, and Saveland. In 2008, inmate-raised hybrid bluegill and yellow perch were released in February, April, and May. As always, the timing of the fish stocking is planned to encourage youth participation in fishing. 

Without stocked fish, most lagoons would have little or nothing to offer anglers. In April, fish were released prior to spring fishing clinics held at nine parks, including Humboldt and Wilson. Many area children were on hand to learn more about angling. Prior to the summer school recess in June, the hatchery released 29,000 perch and sunfish into lagoons. These efforts help our ecosystem by balancing out algae levels in these small bodies of water.

As a result of these efforts, no fish need to be purchased for Milwaukee County. In fact, our hatchery is one of the few sources of live display fish for the Milwaukee County Zoo and the Wisconsin DNR. In March, we began a trial program to raise fish for animals at the zoo, providing further savings for the county.

I was proud to support restoring funding for the fish hatchery in 2009. It saves taxpayer money, provides great activities, and improves the environment. The total cost of the hatchery is just under $300,000. And it’s worth every penny.

Chris Larson is supervisor of Milwaukee County’s 14th District, which encompasses southern parts of Bay View, the airport, and other parts of Milwaukee’s southeast side. He can be reached at chris.larson@milwcnty.com or (414) 278-4252.

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