The Otago Fish & Game Council and OceanaGold are celebrating the 20th anniversary of a glittering partnership, which created the Macraes Trout Hatchery.
"It’s an amazing marriage between unlikely bedfellows — a fishing and hunting conservation organisation and a gold mining company," Otago Fish & Game Council chief executive Ian Hadland said in a statement.
"This partnership is advancing Otago sports fisheries for the good of local anglers and the wider community.
"Macraes is the anglers’ gold mine. The Macraes team provided funds and a site for us to build the hatchery and logistical support to construct and run the trout-growing operation.
"Without the support of the OceanaGold it’s unlikely we would have a hatchery at all."
The hatchery at Macraes Mine is co-ordinated by Otago Fish & Game staff with day-to-day support from OceanaGold staff including feeding the fish and managing water quality.
The project began when when Gregg Caldwell, an angler and Macraes employee, with Fish & Game staff, presented the hatchery concept to the Otago Fish & Game Council and OceanaGold.
Through the project, Fish & Game has released 150,000 yearling rainbow trout into put-and-take fisheries over the past 20 years.
OceanaGold’s Macraes Mine manager of environment and social performance Suzanne Watt said she was proud of the role the hatchery had in building a positive legacy for the Macraes team, the Macraes community, and for anglers across the Otago region.
"What started as a small idea, suggested by one of our workers, has transformed into an operation that brings joy to hundreds of local kids and licensed anglers across our region every year."
Macraes Hatchery has also reared about 10,000 2-year-old fish, ready to catch for beginner classes and Take a Kid Fishing events, attended by about 5600 children in the past 14 years.
— APL
