Minnesota DNR Cancels 2020 Fish Egg Take

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has announced that they will be cancelling their 2020 fish egg take due to the Coronavirus. The fish included were, walleye, northern pike, muskie and steelhead.

Every Spring, the DNR harvest the eggs and use them to replenish fish stock though out the State. They collect female fish that are ready to release their eggs and raise the eggs in hatcheries while releasing the female fish back into the wild. Once ready, the fish are released, as fry or fingerlings, into MN lakes that have very low or no natural reproduction of said fish. This provides better angling opportunities as well as help maintain fish population.

According to the DNR, the harvesting of the eggs is "a labor intensive effort that requires teams of 6-8 people working in close proximity", which under the current Coronavirus situation is not possible with the social distancing guidelines.

Minnesota DNR does not believe that skipping a year will have a long term impact. According to Bring Me The News, Minnesota joins South Dakota, Michigan, and Indiana as States to cancel their fish egg take.