Quatse River Hatchery

Interested In Volunteering Please Follow The Link Below

http://quatsehatchery.ca/volunteer/

WELCOME TO THE QUATSE RIVER HATCHERY

HISTORY

The Quatse Hatchery has been dedicated to salmon enhancement since 1983. The facility was officially opened by the then Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, John Crosbie.

The hatchery is owned and operated by the Northern Vancouver Island Salmonid Enhancement Association, a non-profit society with a registered charitable tax number. The facility produces Coho, Pink and Chum salmon and Steelhead Trout. Staff also provide labour and technical support to a number of volunteer hatcheries and habitat restoration groups in the area. Marble River Hatchery, Holberg Hatchery and the Kokish Hatchery.

From its inception in 1983 until early 2009 , hatchery operations were carried out from an aging Atco trailer unit. NVISEA directors made the decision to upgrade the hatchery facilities and expand operations to include educational, research and tourist services. The Board developed a business plan and raised over one million dollars to demolish the old Atco trailer and replace it with an interpretive gallery, classroom, wet and dry labs, administrative offices , and to upgrade the hatchery water distribution infrastructure and new circular tanks to increase production capacity.

The hatchery uses two water sources. Submerged pumps draw river water from a screened intake, utilized primarily for adult holding and bulk box incubation. A gravity fed groundwater system is used primarily for Heath tray incubation and juvenile rearing

Funding for the upgrades and new facilities came from a variety of sources, including the federal and provincial governments, Pacific Salmon Foundation, BHP-Billiton, Rotary Club of Port Hardy, Island Coastal Economic Trust, West Coast Community Adjustment Program and Mount Waddington Community Futures, Vancouver Foundation, Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Norkan Construction. Additional funds came from B.C. Hydro, B.C. Transmission Commission, Irene Paterson CGA, TwoFourOne Consulting and Jim and Bea Robson of Vancouver.

The majority of the operating funds for the Quatse Hatchery are provided through the Departments of Fisheries and Oceans’ community economic development program, but additional operating funds have come from the provincial ministry of environment and the Freshwater Fisheries Society of B.C, to support Steelhead enhancement and habitat restoration initiatives.

Other project funds have come from the Pacific Salmon Foundation, Habitat Conservation Trust Fund, British Columbia Conservation Foundation, Greater Georgia Basin Steelhead Recovery Program, B.C. Hydro, BHP-Billiton, Ministry of Transportation, Kwakiutl First Nations, Port Hardy Fish and Wildlife Club, Quatsino First Nation, Western Forest Products and numerous community organizations and local businesses.

Our thanks to all our supporters for making our operations and continued success. We look forward to your continued support.