Saving a vulnerable species: Paddlefish have always been considered a very desirable fish for both food and caviar consumption. The caviar has been a political issue that has caused a lot of controversy between Ichthyologist and politicians. Somehow the Paddlefish always comes out of it on the short end. The dams and levies on the Mississippi river are not going away soon and they have been the primary cause of the depletion of Paddlefish. Florida could provide the temporary habitat that is needed to take the place of the Mississippi habitat. Paddlefish could provide for Florida and Florida could provide for them.

Cleaning up the Everglades: The government (state and federal) has already made commitments to rebuild the Everglades. Unfortunately their political eyes might be bigger than our bill folds. The main thrust seems to be in building RESERVOIRS (using old gravel pits) and pumping stations that will replace canals to feed the water into the Everglades areas instead of away from these areas. This is all very nice if you have a bunch of money to spend and everyone knows what they are doing. An additional 180,000 acres of surface-water reservoirs will store up to 500 billion gallons via CERP. The Paddlefish reservoir ranching can help get the job done and pay a large portion of the cost. Paddlefish will filter the water and protect the natural life forms. Food web profiling demonstrates that with the addition of Paddlefish into controlled reservoirs; established animals could easily be quadrupled in numbers,.and the endangered species would make a remarkable come back within this controlled area.

Making money: "Show me the money" Paddlefish have not been exploited in the fish business because of all the red tape in the federal government. Chinese Ichthyologists can teach us a thing or two, since they are producing a million Paddlefish per year to feed their people. Fish farmers can tell you a lot about fish farming on the farm but fish reservoir ranching is a new puppy. Paddlefish have advantages over any other fish when it comes to ranching in large bodies of water. The time required on the farm is reduced to a short 2 month interval of intensive feeding, thereby reducing the cost of production. On the fish farm this translates into; much less electricity, less labor, very much less fish food that is required for grow out, and less disease to deal with. Some advantages:

1. Rapid entry and very high return on equity - "8-10 lb per year @ $8-$10 per lb"
2. No food required in free ranging
3. Large size and very quick growth
4. Distinguished food quality - boneless, oily non predatory , Like smoked Swordfish or Sturgeon, Top notch caviar
5. Advanced immune system - warm, nasty water, OK
6. Environmental enhancement - eat suspended particles & get eaton.
7. Easy to contain with steel - fish will avoid steel at all costs.

The only disadvantages are far out weighed by rapid entry and profits. Unknowns are; what happens when large predators are introduced, and how will the Florida temperatures and flooding effect them? Paddlefish have zero defensive capability and require a good oxygen level. They can turn on a dime, almost faster than the human eye can see, and their large size has the advantage of making them large prey. As long as they are moving the temperature is no problem, in fact it might inspire them to grow quicker and move quicker. Like any other commodity the money will mostly depend on the business management and market demand but even with very modest numbers it is a major win for Florida.

Food web profiling demonstrates that the financial profits would be reduced if the Paddlefish become food for the Alligators.

This experiment will produce an advancement in the wild animal populations and a good profit from Paddlefish sales. These results will end up as an improvement in the eco-systems and justify the high cost of water management. The real money maybe ($100M or more per year) in the processing, and sales, requiring market development. Sturgeon producers already in Florida could take advantage of this to develop their Sturgeon markets at the same time. Tropical Fish Farmers in Florida have told me that they would be more than happy to do something if the governor's Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission says YES to reservoir ranching. See: Contingency

NOTE: This is the worlds oldest and most perfect animal (400 million years). A natural breeding would be way to much to hope for.

Restrictions: You can't obtain large Paddlefish because they can't be shipped. Baby Paddlefish can only be purchased on or about May day and after that there must be a one year waiting list. Kentucky state University is the only place that can treat the eggs for all female production. If you start out with 2,000 babies then you will be lucky to get 500 fish because of natural attrition.

Special Note: Fish in Northern states have been grown out in 5 fish per acre lakes that have required extra fertilization for proper growth rates. Although this is in clear lake water, it is not clear if extra fertilizer will be required in Florida water, or what the fish density sustainability for maximum growth in Florida may be. It will require actual practice to make this scientific determination. If the reservoirs are to be used as pre-filters then one might conclude that they might contain an adequate supply of fertilizer already. Considering that the Paddlefish is both consuming fertilizer and producing fertilizer then this may be the perfect home for maximum growth. The use of copper as a plant killer will no longer be allowed because Paddlefish are extremely sensitive to any conductive metals in the water, especially copper. With a reduced fertilizer load in the water, then the invasive plants might not do so well anyway. We certainly could stand to reduce the amount of copper going into the ocean.

HOME Top