2025

Volunteer community-based fish stocking has a long history in Ontario and for decades, thousands of dedicated hatchery volunteers have made tremendous efforts to improve our recreational fisheries and educate the people of Ontario about our extraordinary resources. Fish stocking and community engagement are two very important components of fisheries management in Ontario.

Community hatcheries stock millions of fish each year to help rehabilitate native species populations and to maintain or enhance angling opportunities through put-grow-take fish stockings. Fish are stocked at different development life stages depending on the species and the fish stocking objectives. Community hatcheries work in cooperation with the MNR to establish stocking targets/plans (i.e. species, egg source, stocking numbers, and developmental life stage at stocking) that are in-line with fisheries management plans and/or community fisheries objectives.

In March 2013, the OFAH, in partnership with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR), launched the Community Hatchery Program (CHP) to grant funding support to eligible community hatcheries and provide strategic and targeted support for Ontario’s community fish culture and stocking efforts. In 2024, the OFAH and the MNR entered into a three year transfer payment agreement with $1,045,500 in provincial funding over three years ($348,500/year) and the OFAH will administer the CHP on their behalf.

This core funding enables the CHP to provide financial support to eligible community hatcheries for operational and capital costs, as well as facilitate the transfer of knowledge and expertise to community hatcheries to maximize the benefits of their stocking efforts. The CHP core annual funding cannot cover the entire annual operating budget of the nearly 40 volunteer-run community hatcheries in Ontario. Annually, over $250,000 in operational and capital invoices remain unfunded and volunteers need to fund raise the rest.

Over the past few years, community hatcheries have faced challenges, including maintaining volunteer safety, holding meetings, and fundraising. Recognizing these challenges, we are requesting $25,000 from the OWF to support operational and capital invoice reimbursement from community hatcheries raising public fish for public waters in Ontario. With this additional support from the OWF, the volunteers can concentrate on producing healthy fish for public waters in Ontario.

In 2024, we had 1,300 volunteers contributing 46,563 hours of their time to raise and stock nearly 9.2 million fish – public fish for public waters in Ontario. Similar numbers are projected for 2025. The benefits include support of fisheries objectives and delivering recreational fishing opportunities for anglers in Ontario. Many ecological benefits to Ontario’s natural resources through reintroduction/restoration stocking, an increase in angling opportunities which increases annual tourism dollars across the province. The community hatcheries also act as educational centers in the community, getting volunteers invested into the management of Ontario’s resources and spreading awareness on the importance of healthy fish in public waters throughout Ontario.