Steelhead Splash!

NH grown steelhead trout are now available at Seaport Fish and Sanders in Portsmouth, NH. The trout were grown as part of a NH Sea Grant project teaching fishermen how to culture trout and mussels together on floating rafts in the Piscataqua River. The mussels grow naturally onto fuzzy rope suspended around the rafts and take a year until harvest size (about 55mm).

They are bio filters and absorb nutrients from the river and the trout. Fishermen can conduct aquaculture while fishing to supplement their income. This sort of ‘diversification’ of business by fishermen is critical given unpredictable markets, ecosystems and management associated with today’s fisheries. Currently, eight fishermen are participating in daily feeding and weekly harvesting of the fish.

The trout were transferred into the sea cages from Sumner Brook Trout Farm in Ossipee, NH in June. They were 150g then and are now between 1.5-2kg. Customers purchasing the trout like the quality, taste and fact that they are raised locally. Trout will be available until January with the hopes of continued production next spring. For more information, contact Michael Chambers @ Michael.Chambers@unh.edu