Fish hatchery still on books to lay a egg

So we will Have a Ball Park, a YMCA and now a fish hatchery on our water front? A perfect mix. LOL

More on the Fish Hatchery, another recession unlikely, and searching for the next great idea.

Fish hatchery
Tallahassee-based Brett Boston called last week with an update on the fish hatchery project highlighted recently in an article in the News Journal.

The hatchery/marine research facility is proposed tentatively for a 10-acre site at Bruce Beach, west of Community Maritime Park.

Executive director of the Wildlife Foundationof Florida, Boston’s organization has submitted a request for an $18.7 million grant from the federal government’s Natural Resources Damage Assessment program.

The hatchery project has been given conceptual approval by the Pensacola City Council, providing the grant is approved.

“We’re expecting to hear something from NRDA within the next 60 days,” Boston said. “I think by then we’ll either get a thumbs-up or a thumbs-down.”

Boston said he remains optimistic the project will get a green light.

Should the grant be approved, he expects the permitting process to move forward at a fairly rapid pace.

Once built, the hatchery/marine research center would grow and replenish native local fish populations and include a plant-production facility and marine research arm.

While the grant would fund construction, the three-phase project will cost $20 million to $35 million, Boston said. Additional funds would come from private and governmental sources; the foundation has said it would not ask the city or county to contribute.

“The governor is still excited about the project, and supports it 100 percent, and I think we still have support from your mayor and city council,” Boston added.

Sequestration's effects
With the sequester in effect, what’s the likelihood of cuts triggering another recession?

Local financial adviser John Peacock sent me an expert’s assessment of the odds.

In her analysis, Edward Jones investment strategist Kate Warne said, “The Congressional Budget Office (has) estimated the sequestration spending cuts will reduce economic growth in 2013 by 0.6 percent to 0.8 percent.”

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Fish farms generate a fair amount of fish poop. I don't know about a hatchery, though. I suspect that since the fish are smaller, the poop problem would be less. No doubt the operators will want to dump tank waste into the bay.

Maybe not a game changer, but something to think about... we just got rid of old stinky that was dumping into the bay.

hallmarkgrad wrote:

So we will Have a Ball Park, a YMCA and now a fish hatchery on our water front? A perfect mix. LOL

.../snip/...

And don't forget the shoot plant!!

Eric wrote:

Fish farms generate a fair amount of fish poop. I don't know about a hatchery, though. I suspect that since the fish are smaller, the poop problem would be less. No doubt the operators will want to dump tank waste into the bay.

Maybe not a game changer, but something to think about... we just got rid of old stinky that was dumping into the bay.

Oh, is it gone now? Or just shut down?? DAMN, I never realized it dumped into the bay!! Jiminy Crickets, I SWAM in that bay, not to mention ate fish I caught out of it!

It put treated effluent into the bay at the rate of 20 million gallons per day.

The plant is gone and the property is now a grassy lot... Clean as a whistle.

The replacement is now North of Gulf Power's steam plant near the Escambia River.

ECUA wants to trade the Main Street site to the City of Pensacola for their garbage franchise. It looks like a done deal... IF the site passes environmental testing (underway).