Editor's note: Time and time again, Connecticut's state fish hatcheries have been threatened with ill-advised cuts or closures. It's time for anglers to stand up and fight once more. The following letter, written by Aaron Swanson, a good friend and field editor for The Fisherman, explains why we should reach out to Governor Lamont and our state legislators to put a stop to the latest plan to cut hatchery funding.
Governor Lamont’s proposed FY 2026-2027 Biennial Budget includes a $500,000 cut to state fish hatcheries. This cut, while it may seem small, will ultimately do more harm than good to Connecticut residents, small businesses and executive branch agency staff. Connecticut’s fish hatcheries provide its residents with a reason to get outside and take advantage of a range of diverse angling opportunities. These fishing trips in turn drive positive economic impacts across a variety of businesses. Please join me in urging the governor and his staff to reconsider, the trout stocking program is worth a lot more to the businesses and residents of Connecticut than saving $500K in their yearly budget.
Here are some bullet points…
Cutting hatchery funding sends a negative message to anglers and undercuts trust in executive branch agency staff.
For better or worse, many anglers do not believe their license fees and trout stamp funds are returned directly to fisheries resources here in Connecticut. Despite DEEP’s clear communications that 100% of these dollars are used for their programs, many anglers remain skeptical of this claim. While money from fishing licenses and trout stamps may not be tied directly to the funds that are being cut, the message these cuts send to the folks who are skeptical of how these funds are programmed is clear. Cuts to the hatchery budget will be interpreted as vindication that the state and DEEP mislead anglers about how money generated from licensing – and more importantly, trout and salmon stamps – is used. This, in turn, breeds mistrust in messaging shared by our hard-working executive branch agency staff who often work directly with anglers, advocacy groups and sporting associations. In short, cuts to hatchery funding hurt fisheries staff.
Our state hatcheries and fisheries staff provide opportunities to anglers and get people outdoors year-round.
Our state fish hatcheries provide Connecticut residents with plentiful and diverse reasons to get outside. Examples of the wide variety these opportunities include everything from the survivor program that stocks big healthy trout into the Farmington River, to expanded urban fishing areas giving residents, especially children, opportunities to fish for trout where they live. Fisheries staff have used our state hatcheries to provide unique opportunities to residents regardless of the season. For example, this year we had a cold winter that froze many of our lakes and ponds. Fisheries staff recognized this as an opportunity to provide enhanced ice fishing options to anglers. They stocked 10,000 brook trout into lakes and ponds across the state giving anglers even more incentive to get out and fish.
Connecticut hatcheries are unique and create fisheries not available in other places that are an economic driver for small businesses.
Connecticut state fish hatcheries are unique and part of the diverse environmental culture that sets Connecticut apart from other states. These unique opportunities that our hatcheries provide, directly affect small businesses. Connecticut’s hatcheries are some of the oldest in the nation and produce species of trout and salmon that other states do not. Specifically, Connecticut hatcheries produce a strain of fast-growing, beautiful brown trout known as the Seeforellen strain. These fish are popular among anglers. Talk to any Connecticut tackle shop that’s open year-round and they will tell you that there is a corresponding spike in sales that comes right after DEEP posts Seeforellen stocking updates online.
Eliminating funding to our hatcheries will ultimately lead to the loss of programs that drive economic benefit, and not just to tackle shops. The upper West Branch of the Farmington River is a well known blue-ribbon trout stream and destination for anglers not just from Connecticut but across the region. If you need proof, just take a ride along the river – any time of year – and you’ll see vehicles tucked into pull-offs along the way with plates from all over the Northeast, who have come to experience this top-tier river fishing experience. This fishery relies on our hatcheries to bring out-of-state tourism revenue into Connecticut. Cuts to hatchery funding could negatively impact this resource that drives positive economic impact to a diverse group of businesses.
I often encounter DEEP fisheries staff conducting “creel surveys” at various locations across the state. Part of the survey questionnaire includes a question about how much I spent on the day’s trip. My answer is always the same – $100. That answer is truthful, if not overly conservative when I take into account food, gas, gear, bait and more. Loss of hatchery funding leads to less diverse fishing opportunities, which ultimately, may lead to fewer fishing trips and less money spent at businesses along the way.
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