Ever Hear about the Freshwater Institute?

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Location: Shephardstown, MD

On April 14th, I had the opportunity to join our Inland Fisheries Division Director (Don Cosden) and Hatcheries Division Director (Brian Richardson) in a field trip to the Freshwater Institute located in Shephardstown, MD. The Freshwater Institute is one of the nation's premier research and development facilities dedicated to the sustainable use of water. The focus of our trip was to discuss partnership opportunties as the Federal funding that supports the Freshwater Institute is at risk.

Of particular interest was to learn more about their environmentally sustainable trout hatchery production operations. The Freshwater Institute may be able to provide technical assistance to improve our trout production and environmental sustainability of our production facilities.

For those of you that may have caught or heard about someone catching one of our stocked 'holdover' rainbow trout, it may have been produced by the Freshwater Instituate. You see, when the Freshwater Institaute completes its research projects, they need to get rid of their fish. A couple of years ago, the Freshwater Institute began providing these large 'holdover' rainbow trout to MD DNR Fisheries Service for stocking. The day following our visit, our hatchery staff picked up some really nice sized 'holdover' rainbow trout for stocking. These fish have already been stocked, and I hope that some of you have been able to catch one.

The Freshwater Institute is also conducting an aquaculture research project that looks to identify production techniques to improve the sustainability of land-based, closed containment systems for Atlantic salmon. Aquaculture is a priority of Governor Martin O'Malley's Administration (i.e. shellfish aquaculture development plan implemented in 2010). Based upon the information that the Freshwater Institute provided us regarding the economic viability of fish aquaculture, there are some great opportunities for Atlantic salmon and yellow perch aquaculture in Maryland. With the consolidation of Maryland's aquaculture program being transferred to MD DNR Fisheries Service, effective July 1st, we will have the opportunity to improve the promotion of these sustainable aquaculture operations.

For those of you that would like to learn more about the Freshwater Institute, I encourage you to check out their website: http://www.freshwaterinstitute.org/. Attached picture is of Don Cosden (MD DNR Inland Fisheries Division Director) and Steve Summerfelt (Freshwater Institute, Director of Aquaculture Systems Research). Attached video is of the contained aquacutlure system being used for Atlantic salmon.

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