Nationally, and in Florida's fresh waters black bass are the most popular fish sought after by anglers.  In Florida, bass anglers spent 12.2 million days pursuing their sport.  Black bass include the endemic Florida largemouth bass (which exists in its pure genetic form only in the central and southern peninsula of Florida), shoal bass (unique to Florida), Suwannee bass (found only in Florida and southern Georgia) and the spotted bass.  The shoal and Suwannee bass are both of special concern because of the limited fragile habitats in which they are found.  The Florida largemouth bass has been imported by many other states and countries including California and Texas because of its trophy producing potential and reputation as being a greater challenge for anglers than its northern cousin. 

Greater research and customized management programs based on that research are needed to ensure conservation of these species.  Genetic contamination of the native Florida bass gene pool, as well as biological contamination by the largemouth bass virus are special issues that need immediate attention in both state and private hatcheries.  Increasing challenges to aquatic habitat conservation also threaten these species and occasionally require intervention using hatchery stocks. 

Unfortunately, Florida freshwater hatchery production is limited primarily to a single antiquated hatchery located in Sumter County, within Richloam State Forest.  The Richloam Hatchery was constructed in 1965 and is need of drastic renovations and upgrades to meet these challenges.

To solve this dilemma and protect these immensely valuable natural resources, Ed Moyer (Director, Division of Freshwater Fisheries) has proposed a Florida Bass Conservation Center (FBCC)  dedicated to propagation and conservation of Florida's famous largemouth bass.  A federally-funded State Wildlife Grants Program has been approved for design of improvements to significantly upgrade production capacity of Richloam Fish Hatchery for the conservation of Florida’s freshwater fishes. Together with state matching funds, $6.6 million is now available for design and construction of the FBCC.

FISHPRO Consulting Engineers and Scientists, Springfield, Illinois, have been contracted to develop architectural and engineering plans for phased development of the FBCC. The first phase includes schematic design for a new fish production and research facility. The second phase involves infrastructure improvements to the hatchery’s earthen ponds, roads and water supply. Finally, a privately funded visitors center will be built, which is expected to generate up to $2 million in local economic impact and help support 38 jobs..

Advanced schematic design of the final fish production and research components, and pond improvements will be followed by construction documents in May 2003. Construction should begin in October 2003.

A federal Sportfish Restoration grant of $2.2 million will be used to complete the first phase, and to initiate pond improvements pending availability of funds.  Build out of both phases is anticipated to be complete by December 2005.

Private funds would primarily be utilized for a visitors' center and various sponsors such as eAngler.com, Uneek Fishing Group, the Big Bass Record Club and North American Fishing Club are already online helping to contribute to its development.  However, additional sponsors are needed to make the center a reality (potential sponsors can contact Bob Wattendorf).

Moyer points out that Texas now has two such modern hatcheries built recently at a cost of $20-million each.

Under this modernization proposal, a new climate-controlled rearing facility will give bass and other freshwater species an opportunity to be spawned at the most opportune time to provide effective stocking throughout the state of appropriately-sized fish.  Without this ability, many stocking efforts prove fruitless, because young fish  have to be stocked at times of year when the forage (prey) base may not be adequate for the young bass' survival and growth.

New sheltered raceways will contribute to rearing significantly more fish per unit area in a more cost effective manner than the hatchery's current dirt pond method.  This technique also helps to conserve water, to minimize predation from birds, assure good water quality, and maximize the consumption of feed.

The creation of a Florida Bass Conservation Center will act as a focal point to facilitate effective statewide management of our aquatic resources and serve as a polestar for black bass investigations.

In addition to climate-controlled rearing facilities, the Center will conduct a genetics program to be sure that future stocking programs are of optimum benefit to native populations.  This is critical to ensuring that the integrity of the native Florida bass, Suwannee bass and Shoal bass is retained and not diluted by mixing with northern stocks.

Incorporated in the plan will be a comprehensive library and publicly accessible internet-based data center, as well as facilities to host scientists from universities, various government agencies and the private sector to conduct state-of-the-art research.  In addition to scientific information, this data base will include angler use, angler success and bass growth rate data for various lakes, so that resident anglers, tourists and tournaments can all more effectively plan their fishing trips.

Finally, a public education complex and visitors center will be developed to provide citizens with the latest information about bass, freshwater fishing and aquatic habitats.  Not only will there be educational displays, trails and observation facilities, but also fishing ponds and instructions will ultimately be provided.

In 1999, manager Chuck Starling and his small, dedicated skeleton crew of fisheries biologists produced the hatchery's 50-millionth fish for transplanting into Florida's lakes and rivers at Richloam Hatchery.  Despite this huge accomplishment and many other firsts, the time has come for Florida to have a modern hatchery at Richloam and Moyer is hopeful that bass fishermen in particular will get behind this effort and lend their support.

Bass Values
Bass Facts
FBCC Proposal Update, by Herb Allen
FBCC Funding Approved by FWC
FBCC Economic Impact
FBCC Opinion Survey
FBCC Power Point Presentation, by Ed Moyer (This is a large file viewed best with IE 4 or better)
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