High Expectations and Great Opportunities: Changing the Culture of Fish Culture

Each of the three recreational fish hatcheries owned and operated by the Department of Game, Fish and Parks in South Dakota has its own unique working culture, due largely to the personality, vision, and management style of the hatchery supervisor.  Staffing is not uniform, with the number and type of positions varying among the three hatcheries. Because of these differences, the desired competencies obtained from coursework and training of hatchery biologists varies, as does the expectations on their work performance. The relative freedom for supervisors to develop unique approaches to hatchery management has provided the opportunity to transform traditional thinking on hatchery operations. This transformation in turn has produced greater opportunities, enhanced credibility, and elevated stature for hatchery biologists, and led to an improved standing and reputation for fish culture in fisheries management within South Dakota.