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GROUND-BREAKING CEREMONY LAUNCHES FLORIDA BASS CONSERVATION CENTER

February 26, 2004
CONTACT: Scott Hardin (850) 488-0331

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The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) today broke ground at the future site of the Florida Bass Conservation Center (FBCC) at the Richloam Fish Hatchery in Sumter County near Webster.

The new $10 million facility will modernize the Richloam Fish Hatchery into a state-of-the-art freshwater fish hatchery and research facility dedicated to the propagation and conservation of the unique Florida subspecies of largemouth bass, “Micropterus salmoides floridanus.”

“Development of the Florida Bass Conservation Center will make a significant contribution to increasing fishing opportunities in the Sunshine State and will ensure the state remains one of the premier fishing areas in the world well into the 21^st century,” said Gov. Jeb Bush.

Speakers at the ground-breaking ceremony included H.A. "Herky" Huffman, FWC commission vice chairman; Sen. Paula Dockery; Joey Chandler, vice chairman, Sumter County Commission; and Ed Moyer, director of the FWC Division of Freshwater Fisheries.

“The new facility will enable the FWC to address current challenges in largemouth bass management,” Moyer said.  “We’ve got the best bass resources in the country, and it makes sense for Florida to be on the cutting edge of bass management and hatchery culture.”

The center also will play a key role in Florida’s Freshwater Fisheries Conservation Initiative, which will seek to develop long-term management and protection for vulnerable freshwater fishes through population augmentation or research into propagation methods, genetics or diseases.

The FWC’s Richloam Fish Hatchery, built in 1965, is the state’s principal producer of freshwater fish for stocking.  Outdated ponds and incubation facilities at the hatchery have severely limited the agency’s capacity to spawn, rear and harvest largemouth bass efficiently.

“The FBCC will enable us to undertake large-scale stocking programs to restore Florida bass populations in lakes where significant habitat improvements are not feasible,” said Rodney Barreto, FWC commission chairman.

Highlights of the FBCC include a climate-controlled spawning facility, six 11,000-gallon raceways, a 2,000-square-foot research laboratory, a modern fish health laboratory and a comprehensive bass research library.

The FWC also is seeking private funding to construct and operate a visitor’s center at the site.  The visitor’s center would feature information and exhibits on largemouth bass, freshwater fishes, aquatic ecology and modern fish hatchery operation and technology.  Public fishing and interpretive trails would complement the indoor exhibits.

FWC officials expect construction of the new facility to be completed during the fall of 2005.

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