Hatchery employees at Niagara Spring Hatchery near Wendell are taking precautions against a potential disease outbreak by vaccinating their steelhead smolts.
The vaccination process is simple, as the fish are immersed into a vaccine bath for one minute and returned to a rearing unit immediately after.
Furunculosis is a highly contagious disease that primarily affects hatchery-raised trout, salmon and steelhead, and can cause high mortality rates. The hatchery has a history of Furunculosis outbreaks with the most recent outbreak occurring in the spring of 2017. In recent years however, eyed egg-to-smolt survival has ranged from an incredible 96 to 98 percent.
The early vaccination of these fish is part of Niagara's successful biosecurity plan to help be a disease free hatchery. Idaho Department of Fish and Game operates Niagara Springs Hatchery for Idaho Power with a mitigation goal of 1.8 million steelhead smolts annually.