fish being netted for collection FWS photo

Commercial fishermen on the Upper Mississippi River have a long history of assisting in ongoing fisheries research, fish collections and population assessments for a wide variety of state and federal research and management agencies located alongside the mighty Mississippi. 

Jim Boardman and his crew from Boardman Fisheries assisted in fish collection activities that occurred in early spring before traditional ice-out when the Genoa, Wis.,  hatchery normally begins fish collection activities.  The Genoa hatchery sets nets in Pool 9 of the Upper Mississippi River to assist in surveillance efforts to determine the extent of fish pathogens in wild fish populations.  This effort, known as the Wild Fish Health Survey, has been conducted since 1997 and is essential to determine whether any pathogens that are serious enough to affect management efforts are present in the Upper Mississippi River system. 

Through these collections and the results provided from the LaCrosse, Wis., Fish Health Center, fisheries management decisions can be made on how to best protect the vast fisheries resources in the upper Mississippi River Basin.  A database on these results and results from across the country are used to track changes in disease incidences over time, and whether outbreaks are occurring or migrating into other areas. 

The Genoa hatchery also uses the Upper Mississippi River to collect wild broodstock for sport fish restoration efforts.  The monitoring of these populations ensures that only healthy fish populations are used to supply eggs and fish for restoration and sport fish stockings.   Every spring more than two million northern pike eggs and 10 million walleye and sauger eggs are taken from Pool 9 to assist in ongoing sport fish restoration efforts on state and federal lands through sound scientific fishery management plans. 

This continued collection effort is only possible due to continued diligence and care to ensure that collection and stocking activities do not negatively impact wild fish health populations on the Upper Mississippi River or receiving waters.

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