Genoa NFH staff Jenny Walker and Nick Starzl fin clip coaster brook trout. - USFWS Photo

A 2005 year class coaster brook trout raised at Genoa NFH. - USFWS Photo

Tagging fish has long been a useful tool for understanding the way hatchery fish interact within the environment. During December 2005, more than 5,000 seven-inch coaster brook trout were given a fin clip at the Genoa National Fish Hatchery. By fin clipping the trout, biologists are able to distinguish between a hatchery raised fish and a wild fish during fish management operations on the Great Lakes. The coaster brook trout is a threatened strain of brook trout which is endemic to the Isle Royale region of Lake Superior. Though similar to the inland trout strains, coasters become larger; attaining weights of 4-10 lbs.

Habitat loss, pollution and over-fishing have all contributed to the diminishing number of coaster brook trout in the Great Lakes. The Genoa National Fish Hatchery is cooperating with the Iron River National Fish Hatchery, the Ashland Fishery Resource Office, and the states of Wisconsin and Michigan to restore the coaster brook trout to its native range on the southern shore of Lake Superior.