Submitted by Stu Paterson for BPSA Photo Credits: Paterson Media, MNRF, OFAH
South Bruce Peninsula, Wiarton Ontario: It was a family affair on the shores of Colpoy’s Bay. It was the stocking 800 Brown Trout raised at the Bruce Peninsula Sportsmen’s Association (BPSA) Hatchery west of Wiarton.
Since the nineteen-sixties, this hatchery and its army of volunteers have raised and stocked more than 4-million fish. The aim of this effort is to enhance our sports fishery. A fishery that generates over 1.7 billion dollars a year for the Ontario economy.
On a recent Saturday morning moms, dads and kids gathered to sort the trout. The ages of participants ranged from two to eighty-two. They were there to get the job done, and they did.
The Brown Trout eggs were sourced from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resource and Forestry Chatsworth Hatchery. The average weight of the trout that were stocked, 87 grams.
The 15-month-old trout were loaded into the BPSA tanker trailer and it was off to Colpoy’s Bay for stocking. The water temperature was ideal and the volunteers got the job done in fifteen minutes. 20 thousand Rainbow Trout remain at the BPSA hatchery to be stocked at the end of June. 25-thousand Brown Trout that remain in our hatchery, will be stocked by the end of July.
The 300 member BPSA was established in the sixties to “preserve and enhance fish and wildlife.” BPSA operates the longest running volunteer-run fish hatchery in Ontario.
We belong to the 40-member Ontario Community Hatchery Program (CHP) which is funded by the province and operated by the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters. Some costs involved with operating our fish stocking program are covered by the CHP.
BPSA is more than fish stocking. We have an active youth and adult archery program which kicks off for the year in May. BPSA boasts a busy handgun club, several firearms target shooting programs as well our youth and adult firearms training classes.
Our tree planting involves cooperation with the Bruce Trail Conservancy as well as apple tree planting in areas populated by deer. There’s also our invasive species awareness “boot scrubber” program.
Our next club meeting is on Thursday April 25 at 7:30 pm at the club house (611 North Acres Road, Wiarton). The guest speaker will focus on fishers which are often spotted on the Bruce Peninsula.
If you feel you would like to check out BPSA, join us on April 25th. You don’t have to be a BPSA member to attend. You may want to become a member of one of Ontario’s respected volunteer run conservation clubs.
