Terrestrial fish farming at Mission B.C.

PHOTO CREDITS  Mack McColl MISSION B.C - Bernie Lehmann farms fish in the middle of the thick of a rainforest that remains standing near Vancouver, B.C. at the Sun Valley Trout Park, beside the town of Mission where the Lehmann family has been growing trout as a business for 50 years. At Sun Valley Trout Park they do it all from hatchery to grow-out.   They breed rainbow trout and grow some for dinner plates but most of the rainbow trout are used in stocking lakes in the north of B.C. and all over Alberta and supplying research departments and laboratories in Western Canada. The largest of the rainbow trout will weigh in at 10 to 12 ounces, or half a kilogram. These are sold to restaurants to dress the dinner plate and fill the belly, and this size is also used by those conducting research.   The rearing occurs at the long-standing hatchery and fish farm ponds dug into 15 hectares beside Silver Creek. The site includes a a large man-made fishing pond, plus tidy campground the nests camper under giant Douglas Fir, and the picturesque layout sits on the west side outskirts of Mission. The grow ponds, spring-fed troughs, and spillways receive the water from mountain springs rather than to the neighbouring Silver Creek. The whole operation of spillways, grow troughs, and fishing pond are completely separated from the nearby creek.   According to Bernie everything would be rosey for Sun Valley Trout Park except for a sudden rise in 2008 in the cost of feed, which has made growing trout for dinner plates a non-starter. "The price of feed has climbed and climbed and climbed," said Bernie. "It has become too costly to maintain Sun Valley and deal with the feed issue, however, the fish are still in demand for fry in stocking lakes," and a smaller amount of 12 ounce fish are still grown for scientific research.   "These fish consume high protein fish meal that depends on soy product for supplement," said Bernie. Today the supplement has become scarce because soy crops are disappearing in favour of corn and other crops to produce ethanol. "Farmers are growing less soy bean therefore the cost is rapidly rising."   He said another problem with fish farming is the rancor of various organizations at so many levels about people growing fish. The aquaculture industry has many forms and none of them gets any respect from an ecologically bent and often misinformed public. Bernie said it is no different in this regard for the land-locked fish farmer than it is for the ocean-based net-pen farmers. Despite the opposition and market disparities all the work with fish remains a labour of love, which is apparent from the effort and results.   The grow-areas outside the hatchery (which is closed to public access) are long troughs about 30 m in length of poured concrete walls with natural earth floors. A continuous flow of mountain-fed spring water courses through the man-made waterways. Webbing keeps birds off the product. It's a park, and the Sun Valley Trout Park contains a vast open picnic area and large pond with fee-fishing for pan-sized trout. "It's flyfishing in what city folk call a small lake and country folk call a large pond." They have a place to take kids to catch and learn about fish. Seniors come out and sit by the lake and catch and release their fish. It is the front end of the 15 hectares that holds the commercial trout farm and hatchery house.   The rear area containing camping facilities in a sylvan dream of natural wooded beauty beside the river. These several hectares of forest at the back of the trout park contain a funky campground with massive old-growth trees standing over tidy laneways. The trailways course by 50 powered sites for RVs and lots of spots for tenters. The troutpark/campground is only an hour and 15 minutes from Vancouver and YVR, said Bernie, "It is a great place to stay for visitors to B.C. on their first day of arrival and their last day before returning home. For bicyclists, it is an easy ride from Vancouver. We also speak German."