But he added that continually spending government money on new volunteer hatchery programmes comes at the expense of commercial walleye hatcheries like his that are already up and running. When people pay to put walleye in a lake, their attitude about those fish changes. Martin sees it differently. He says many cottage associations and clubs can't afford to buy walleye fingerlings from a private hatchery, but they can donate time and energy to raise their own. I can't sway the decision to either side.
Many fisheries scientists believe that stocking creates the possibility of genetic dilution.
They argue that planting domestic walleye, especially larger fingerlings that have a high survival rate, on top of native fish might create competition between the stocks. But we should be careful to maintain the walleye populations we have. The more we handle this fish, the more we rear it under artificial conditions, the less suited they are to the natural environment. Casselman says fish managers and private clubs need to be clear as to why a lake is being stocked and should be careful about stocking where it isn't needed. If you want to rehabilitate, you really don't want them to be removed.