Allegheny NFH - Photo Credit: usfws photo

On January 3, the Iron River National Fish Hatchery (NFH) shipped approximately 100,000 lake trout eggs to the Allegheny NFH. The egg shipment is noteworthy due to Allegheny’s recent green light to begin fish culture operations after 6 years of being depopulated because of a disease. Back in 2005, the hatchery tested positive for the fish virus Infectious Pancreatic Necrosis (or IPNv). The virus is known to cause mortality in the early lifestages of intensively reared fish. Since then, the hatchery has installed water treatment upgrades, as well as metal covers over the raceways to keep pathogen spreading birds away from the fish. It is hoped that the small shipment of eggs from our facility and others will begin the process of getting Allegheny NFH back on track to restoring lake trout to the Great Lakes.