September 8, 2014 — Even though Michigan is surrounded by more than 20 percent of the world's freshwater, fish farming is largely unheard of there.
But this summer, the aquaculture industry took a step forward. And that has touched off a debate over the appropriateness of fish farming on the Great Lakes.
There's only one company now in Michigan that raises fish for restaurants and grocery stores in large volumes. It's a family business, run by Dan Vogler, on a few acres near Harrietta, Mich., population 143.
There are more than a half-million fish at Harrietta Hills Trout Farm. They're mostly rainbow trout and the largest ones weigh 1.5 pounds.
Vogler wants to see more aquaculture in Michigan. He says with billions of people on the earth, and many looking for fresh fish, the state has an opportunity.
"Not only an opportunity but a responsibility to use our natural resources — use them responsibly — to grow food," he says.
Vogler's farm is on a creek that feeds the Manistee River on its way to Lake Michigan. This summer, his company received a permit to expand an existing hatchery at another location. It is also inland, on the Au Sable River in Grayling.
That's a popular trout fishing destination, and conservation groups are now challenging that permit, saying the state is not doing enough to protect the river.
Read the full story and listen to the audio at WMHT