Rep. Bob Merski Visits a Steelhead Spawning Event with the PA Fish and Boat Commission (2023)

On December 19, 2023, Rep. Merski joined the PA Fish and Boat Commission for a steelhead collection and spawning operation at the PFBC's Trout Run Nursery Waters in Fairview Township. Each winter, eggs are collected from the fish for artificial spawning, which is necessary because there is very little natural steelhead reproduction in Lake Erie and its tributaries due to lack of suitable habitat. Each year, the PFBC raises approximately one-million steelhead to be stocked into the tributary streams, which provides a world-class fishery that attracts anglers from across the country. Steelhead fishing on and around Lake Erie generates an estimated 10-million-dollars in local economic impact annually.