Grand Valley Nature Preserve’s lakes soon will be home to about 1,000
paddlefish, thanks to a new deal between Indian Hill and Big Fish
Farms.

Indian Hill Village Council recently voted to approve an agreement
with the company to stock Grand Valley lakes with 500 4-year-old
paddlefish this spring and 500 fingerlings, or small young fish, in
the fall.

The fish are to grow naturally for eight to 12 years and then be
harvested for their meat and roe, or eggs – which will then be
processed into caviar.

As part of the agreement the village will receive 20 percent of the
proceeds from the sale of meat and caviar from the harvest.

Councilwoman Lindsay McLean said the village is expected to receive
about $25,000 from the harvest.

“These revenues would be very helpful,” she said.

City Manager Mike Burns noted “it could be more by then,” suggesting
the possibility of the village making slightly more than the current
estimated value, considering the harvest won’t occur for approximately
another decade.

According to the agreement, written by Big Fish Farms, the paddlefish
require no food supplements and are indigenous to the area. They won’t
reproduce in the lake environment and “there is research indicating
that they improve the overall quality of the water in which they
live,” according to the agreement.

View Comments | Share your thoughts

http://local.cincinnati.com/communit...EWS/304250040/

--- Posted via news://freenews.netfront.net/ - Complaints to ---