Fishermen Fuming

Local fisherman in Fairbanks don’t have as many fish stories as they expected, because of problems with a bond-funded hatchery.

The Ruth Burnett Sport Fish Hatchery was funded with $68 million of bonds sold in 2006 backed by a $9 increase in fishing license fees.

The hatchery has yet to hatch fish more than a year after its scheduled opening date of May 2010 because of water quality problems, according to the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.

The newspaper said problems with the hatchery’s state-of-the-art filtration system have prevented the state Department of Fish and Game from moving fish into the facility.

According to the paper, anglers have been left with fewer and smaller fish because the state has been understocking area lakes and ponds over the last several years.

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Alaska
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