DNR Bill

[sbro73]

Just got wind of the new bill proposed to close all DNR Fish Hatcheries by 2014! Started to see whether private producers could do it cheaper. Thoughts and Comments?

[b1gf1sh1]

i better get busy getting my own hatchery going . on the surface it sounds to me like it's opening a can of worms. but if they can do it cheaper and still have as good or better fish why not?

[cupper]

Legislators need to keep their dirty noses out of the DNR's business. Let the biologists worry about the natural resources of Mn, not the "lawmakers".

[krats]

I don't understand...how do they figure that private industry can do it cheaper? They still have to cover costs for their overhead and on top of it make a profit.

I don't think it can be done.

We will probably just end up with more fish species with diseases.

Why can't we just let the DNR fisheries people do their job.

[Big A]

$$$$$$$$$$$$

Is all anyone cares about anymore.....

[thefarmer]

Why not let someone else try. Not to stereotype all state workers but I know a few that definetly don't work as hard as someone who is running there own business. Sounds like a good idea to me.

[mainbutter]

I don't understand...how do they figure that private industry can do it cheaper? They still have to cover costs for their overhead and on top of it make a profit.

I don't think it can be done.

We will probably just end up with more fish species with diseases.

Why can't we just let the DNR fisheries people do their job.

It's always been the belief that private sector business stimulates creativity, efficiency, and hard work.. I understand why they do this even if I don't 100% agree with it.

I'm willing to withhold judgment until we see results, though I think that this job is best left in the hands of the DRN.

[Muskiefool]

Slippery Slope for Muskies.....Unreliability is the norm from some in the private sector trust me...

[Random guy]

Unreliability is the norm from some in the private sector trust me...

It is not just game fish it is any aspect of the entire aquatic scope. From fish to eggs to restoration and water the DNR is looking at many pilot programs to save money.

We know "some in the private sector" can raise better bait fish and "edible" fishes on a faster and cheaper curve not to mention we can haul and distribute about ten fold what the state can on a average...I am one of those unreliable private sector guys that laughs when they call us unreliable, we are in it for efficiency because efficiency and satisfactory completions creates profit...it is America after all.

[goblueM]

That's a terrible idea. I understand the the (probably correct) thought that someone else can do it cheaper. State employees are just like any other employees. Some are good, some are bad.

The problem is reliability and scope. The DNR isn't just a straight up fish farm- they do a lot of research that is pretty valuable, both in-house and for the general public.

If we did switch hatcheries over to the private sector, the DNR would still have to monitor all these hatcheries, which would mean more bureaucracy - I don't think you'd be saving a whole lot of money.

EDIT: forgot to mention about the genetics and all the DNR does to preserve diversity, as well as restore native strains/keep other strains out. I just don't see the private sector doing that, and still making a profit

[TheHawgTrough]

I posted this regarding issues with two of the Representatives on the Lessard Counsel (Outdoors Amendment Funds)and them allocating funds to their own pet projects...

http://www.fishingminnesota.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/topic/202030

I can't believe some of the stuff our state representatives get away with.

[Here-Kitty-Kitty]

they're talking about closing the fish hatcheries and the tree nurseries, too, so they'd buy all their fry for stocking from private hatcheries. I'm not sure this saves money, but maybe.

[Black_Bay]

The catch is that few if any of the private hatcheries take their own eggs. I know the state takes all the musky eggs and trout eggs.

[Shawn Kellett]

Gee, I leave the country for only a week and I come back to stuff like this

JonnyP, I've had the same experience as John (Muskiefool) when it comes to the private sector. I have YET to get the fish I wanted from the private sector over the last 5 years. The only one that came close was West Central Bait in New London. We wanted yearlings but he had some quality fingerlings. His product did impress me so maybe we could have something there.

There's a few problems IMOP. The first is that with the DNR you know that the genetic integrity is going to be there. In the muskie program this is very important. This genetic purity for lack of a better term would have to be guaranteed for me to feel good about it.

One of the biggest concerns I have is how contracts are budgeted. If a contracted fish farmer can't come up with the fish within the contracted time that money disappears. Once the money is gone then we don't have the resources for a "make good" the following year because it's not in that years budget. The DNR can have a "make good" the following spring if they get frozen out of their ponds or are delayed for any other reason.

This happened to Tonka a few years ago. The contracted fish farmer couldn't deliver that fall and the money was gone. Then the TC Chapter bought the fish from said farmer the next spring (at a higher rate) just to keep the lake on target. I'll have to go through my records, but it's not uncommon to get shorted from the private sector in concerns to muskies. I think that this year may have been the first that the contract was fulfilled completely by the winner of the contract (MN Muskie Farms if memory serves me).

The other thing we have to think about as far as the long term pricing going to stay similar without the DNR as a competition? Once the hatcheries are gone they're gone for good. Or if we did want to start all over again it'd be extremely costly.

I will say that there are inefficiencies in the current system and I'm for improving the wheel. Heck, I generally hate the gov't getting into anything because of cost inefficiencies! I just see first hand what goes into the process and wouldn't want to completely wipe it out.

Now the possibility of shifting more to the private sector for species that they do well in wouldn't necessarily be out of the question nor a bad thing. We have the infrastructure and thing we should keep it because when it's gone it's gone.

[Muskiefool]

Then I'll call you the exception Johnny, otherwise Its nothing but lies and headaches.

[St_Croix_Banks]

The purpose of introducing this bill is to provide healthy, thorough discussion about the current status of the hatcheries and to decide whether it can be improved upon. From reading this thread it sounds as though were working in that direction.