FISH FARMS


Southern Illinois' small ponds and lakes are 'deal'

by Sean Crawford

Ron Dietrich steers his battered pickup down a seldom-traveled dirt road near his home in Lenzburg. He makes the trip to an abandoned strip mine three or four times a week to check on what he's growing.

Dietrich is a farmer, but not in the traditional sense. He raises fish in a portion of a lake he owns in south- east St. Clair County, across the Mississippi River from St.Louis. He's one of a growing number of Illinoisans who see a backyard-busi- ness opportunity in this fledgling enterprise.

In fact, Dietrich has invested about $50, 000 of his hard-earned money in yellow perch. "I'm hoping the ones that are in there now are marketable by the end of the summer."

Dietrich admits that he's yet to turn a profit, and already he's had to deal with vandals and parasites. But these are minor setbacks, he says. For now, it's something of a hobby. And he already has a successful business providing weight scales for trucks.

Yet Dietrich says he's looking down the road at the possibility of a new career. "I'm getting ready to retire. This is what I want to do then."

Indeed, interest in "farming" fish has increased in the five years since fish biologist Jerry Kaat moved to southern Illinois. Kaat, who lives in Marissa, urges more locals to take advantage of the countless small ponds and lakes in the area, many of which are ideal for raising fish. " Anyone with a quality water source can do this. There are numerous places here, so there's a lot of potential."

Kaat, formerly with the federal fish and wildlife agency, also has been working with some of that region's state lawmakers to create a fish co-op, like those that already exist for such commodities as beans, corn and hogs. He argues the venture could buy fish food and equipment in bulk, getting the goods at cheaper rates and passing the savings on to enterprising individuals. The co-op could work with the soon-to- be fish processing center at the Pinckneyville prison. That would help to lower costs, too, because the center is expected to process fish at nearly half the cost of private commercial operations.

This spring lawmakers agreed, approving start-up funding of $1 million a year for 10 years, which supporters argue will enable the co-op to become self-sufficient.

"This is definitely an economic development tool for southern Illinois and the entire state," says state Rep. Jim Fowler, a Democrat from Harrisburg, who sponsored the measure. He believes a co-op could lend credibility to the state's small fish industry.

Though some 90 Illinoisans hold fish farming permits through the state's Department of Natural Resources, only eight individuals are trying to establish a full-time business. And most of the Illinois-raised fish is used for bait, or to stock ponds. Yet this state is a significant inland importer of seafood, and Kaat believes the co-op will encourage more Illinoisans to raise specialty fish and caviar for restaurants. Eateries in St. Louis and Chicago, he says, have already shown interest.

"The last two or three decades, there have been people who have tried to make a go of it. But they've had problems, such as finding a place to process the fish."

Supporters argue the industry will create jobs in transportation, storage and fish harvesting in an area always angling for an economic boost.

Still, residents of southern Illinois haven't swallowed the idea hook, line and sinker. Kaat says it's been difficult getting people interested, especially in a region stocked with sport fishermen.

"Everyone has the same question: How are you going to make money raising fish? Anyone who wants fish in this area will go out and catch it themselves. I've explained to them the market isn't here; it's in bigger towns," he says.

"Now with this co-op idea starting to get more attention, we're getting more people on board. They used to view fish as just a four letter f-word. Now they're starting to see things differently. " 

Sean Crawford is a Statehouse reporter for public radio station WUIS in Springfield.

Illinois Issues June 1999 / 27