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Home / Washington Business - May/June 2005 / Troutlodge: A Fish Story |
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Troutlodge: A Fish Story |
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Written On: May/June 2005 |
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Written By: by Daniel Brunell |
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Boeing, Weyerhaeuser, Microsoft and even PACCAR usually get the credit for Washington’s global economic impact. Though these companies are most often mentioned in business reports, they are not alone. Washington is a world-leading exporter of live trout eggs.
Trout eggs? You bet! Washington is home to the world’s-largest trout-eggs exporter, Troutlodge, Inc. Celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2005, Troutlodge produces more than half-a-billion trout eggs a year, which are sold in more than 25 states and 38 countries around the world. Headquartered in Sumner, Troutlodge has seven facilities in Washington, one in Oregon and a sister hatchery in Chile.
Fish hatcheries from across the globe purchase live trout eggs from Troutlodge. Its eggs are the standard for the industry and are used to raise trout to a commercially marketable size for restaurants, grocery stores and release into the wild for sport fishing. Yet Troutlodge began almost as an afterthought.
"I am an accidental fish man," said Ed McLeary, founder of Troutlodge. In 1940, Ed was stationed in Spokane, training pilots for World War II. During one of his classes he struck up a friendship with Ken Drew, a Montana fish farmer. The two leased an old fish farm near Ephrata in 1945. Seeing the market for grown trout already saturated, Ed decided to focus on producing high-quality eggs for hatcheries. In 1949 Drew left the business. With Ed alone at the helm, the business started to bloom.
Troutlodge reinvigorated the business of live fish eggs. For more than a century, fish breeding was an inexact science and markets for eggs were limited because of the perishable nature of the product. Troutlodge pioneered many of the practices now found throughout the industry. These include using oxygen to ensure delivery of live eggs, selective breeding of trout, and improving the production of sterile crosses and all female eggs. Troutlodge was one of the first to use air transport to ship eggs in mass; sometimes McLeary would fly the eggs himself to customers as far away as Europe.
In the 1960s and 1970s, Troutlodge expanded to the more temperate west side of Washington. "The milder temperatures allowed for year-round breeding," McLeary said. "We are the only company in the world that breeds rainbow trout on a year-round basis."
McLeary’s work in the industry has garnered many awards from communities, states, governors and the industry. In 2000, the American Fishery Society gave McLeary its highest accolade, inducting him into the Fish Culture Hall of Fame. McLeary was the first trout breeder and second commercial breeder ever to be honored. Now an active 87, McLeary has eased away from the day-to-day operations and allowed a new generation of managers to take over.
Most of this new generation has been with the company for more than 20 years. Troutlodge uses decades of experience with high technology to create a better fish. Through tracking fish, Troutlodge is able to recognize strong genetic traits (such as fast growth, size, strength and health) and, through a process of selective breeding, exploit these traits in future generations of fish. The success of this is found in the fish, some weighing more than 30 pounds.
"Unlike many hatcheries, we have very, very few dead eggs in our orders," said Jim Parsons, vice president of research and technical services with Troutlodge. "If there is an unacceptable amount of dead eggs, we will rush-deliver eggs to replace them."
Like every industry, Troutlodge has had to adjust to a growing, competitive international economic climate. "One thing that really hurts us are non-tariff barriers, such as permitting, to send to a particular country," said Jim Barfoot, president and CEO of Troutlodge. For example, to send eggs to Germany it requires 13 tests for the eggs to be cleared through customs. Meanwhile trout eggs from Spain only have to go through three tests to be imported to Germany. These additional tests add cost to the product.
In response to this conundrum, Troutlodge has not only worked proactively with state, federal, international governments and international trade groups but also with academia. Working with Washington State University’s School of Veterinary Medicines, Troutlodge help add aquaculture research and testing to the school’s renowned Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory. Today, WADDL is one of the leading laboratories for fish research and testing in the nation, meeting all U.S. Department of Agriculture and international standards for an animal diagnostic and certification testing center.
"What is great about this lab is it provides us with a third party to check our fishes’ health and quality," Parsons said. "With the regular testing that WSU does, it certifies the health and quality of our product to our customers. Also, this testing assures foreign governments, which require disease- and pathogen-free produce for entering their markets."
Beyond Troutlodge’s exploits in the international markets, it also does something for the local communities. In 1999, Troutlodge started the Community Trout Enhancement Program to introduce fishing to people who don’t have access or have never been fishing before. Troutlodge also owns and operates a "U-Fish" facility with the opportunity for anyone to land a trophy-size rainbow trout or char.
Located between Orting and South Prairie along Highway 162, the site provides several large ponds stocked with different varieties of fish. Other services include a covered picnic area, a petting zoo and educational information about fish and fishing. There is even someone to clean the fish for you, all for a nominal fee without the hassle of getting all the gear or a state fishing license. U-Fish is big enough to host large groups.
"We have everyone from Boy Scout troops to groups of soldiers come out here and fish," Bill Townsend said. "We all enjoyed fishing a great deal during our youth and we just want to pass the enjoyment of this sport onto future generations."
The Cooperative Trout Enhancement Program
In 1999, Troutlodge, working with the Department of Fish and Wildlife, started the Cooperative Trout Enhancement Program. CTEP is a non-profit organization designed to provide education and fishing experience to kids, the disabled and fishing enthusiasts by stocking Washington lakes with trophy-size fish. Individual, corporate and municipal donors can direct tax-deductible contributions to CTEP for fish to be stocked in public waters. Donors may choose the lake, the size and quantity of fish they wish to stock. All CTEP fish stockings are authorized by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
"This program helps bring the joys of fishing to people who have never experienced it before," said Doug Smith, project manager with Troutlodge. "Also, this program stimulates the local economy through enhancing recreational fishing opportunities throughout Washington state."
Since the first stocking of Lake Spanaway, CTEP has expanded to more than 21 lakes and has 31 portable tanks that travel around to bring fishing to those who can’t go to lakes. CTEP has developed partnerships with various conservation groups such as Trout Unlimited and the Tacoma Sportsmen’s Club to provide conservation education about the role of trout and environmental stewardship.
For more information on this program, contact Doug Smith at (800) 838-7688.
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