Spotlight: Shawanaga First Nations Hatchery – A way of giving back – Northern Ontario Business
The youth of Shawanaga First Nation are carrying on the traditions of their elders, now with new technology
On the shores of Georgian Bay, roughly 30 kilometers north-west of Parry Sound, Ontario, a small Anishinaabe community is making a big difference. The Band-owned and operated hatchery has evolved over the last three decades into a very successful community project that is not only ensuring the conservation of walleye stocks in local waterways but involving and teaching young people the great value of conservation.
Inspired by the teachings of their grandfathers to “give back what we take,” community leaders became interested in walleye culture and restoration in the Shawanaga River in the late 1970s. With the support of community members, in 1996, a hatchery was built at Shawanaga Landing on the edge of Shawanaga Inlet on Georgian Bay. The spawning bed nearby, is located about 2.5 kilometers from the mouth of the Shawanaga River. The hatchery used a flow-through system to produce 3 to 5 million walleye fry that were released into the water annually. This has since kept walleye stocks at a reasonably sustainable level.
