A producer of native aquatic species for conservation since 1932, Genoa National Fish Hatchery is one of the National Fish Hatchery System’s most diverse field stations. The hatchery, located along the Upper Mississippi River in Genoa, Wis., raises 23 species of cold-, cool- and warm-water fish and mussels for native-species restoration efforts nationwide. 

One challenge of raising so many fish and mussel species is keeping culture facilities free of disease pathogens, which could transfer from one species to another. The introduction of a pathogen to one of these 23 native species could spell disaster for Genoa’s programs and conservation commitments.

Careful planning and disease-hazard analysis help ensure Genoa maintains disease-free status and keep restoration efforts moving forward. One key to disease prevention is production of a certified, disease-free fathead minnows as a source of forage for pond-cultured fish.

Genoa often uses fathead minnows as a forage species for the larger fish it cultures in its ponds. The minnows are a nutritious, natural food for fingerlings, young-of-the-year, and brood and future brood fish. All are key elements to the success of Genoa’s native-species restoration programs.

Fathead minnows are native to North America. Using them as a food source eliminates the risk of introducing a non-native species and associated pathogens to the hatchery grounds and surrounding environment. Because fathead minnows are part of Genoa’s production plan, they undergo health inspections for certifiable fish pathogens every six months. This ensures the minnows’ disease-free status before Genoa introduces them to culture facilities and other cultured species.

Genoa has been involved in the production of fathead minnows since 1995. In 2007 it produced nearly 3.5 million minnows for its restoration efforts and for the efforts of others. The hatchery now supplies minnows for programs at the Fort McCoy Army Base and the Black River Falls Fish Propagation and Rearing Station in Wisconsin and the Fairport State Fish Hatchery in Iowa.

Throughout the summer months, Genoa harvests minnows from ponds and feeds them to brood fish and young-of-the-year walleye, yellow perch, bluegill, black crappie, and large and smallmouth bass. Genoa annually stocks the young-of-the year fish into tribal, state, and federal waters to enhance sport and subsistence fishing.

Genoa also feeds the minnows to the yearling walleye, blue and channel catfish, and large and smallmouth bass that it cultures to help recover endangered mussels. The endangered Higgins’ eye pearlymussel and the winged mapleleaf, like most freshwater mussel species, require a host fish during their larval stage of development. These fish also serve as suitable hosts for several other threatened mussel species and species of concern that Genoa uses in propagation and research at the station. 

Keeping its fish and mussel species healthy by producing, harvesting and feeding them disease-free, nutritious minnows is a top priority at Genoa National Fish Hatchery. With its development of this native, disease-free diet, Genoa has gone a long way toward its goal to raise and hold healthy native species of fish and to give mussels a great chance of survival on their own.

Genoa National Fish Hatchery celebrated it 75th anniversary in August 2007. To learn more about the hatchery, go to http://www.fws.gov/midwest/genoa/index.html.To view a behind-the-scenes news video of Genoa Hatchery, go to http://www.wxow.com/News/index.php?ID=8160 and click on the red camera.