BOISE, Idaho — The Idaho Department of Fish and Game euthanized fish at Hagerman State Hatchery in an effort to minimize the spread of disease.
On June 1, approximately 188,000 young rainbow trout were euthanized after the fish contracted a viral disease called infectious hematopoietic necrosis (IHN).
There are no treatments for fish that contract IHN, so the best way to stop an outbreak and prevent the virus from spreading is euthanasia.
The euthanized fish measured about 2 inches long and were slated to be stocked as 10-inch catchable-sized fish for summer 2023.
The Hagerman State Hatchery still plans to release 1.8 million rainbow trout, and the Hayspur Fish Hatchery will be providing additional juvenile rainbow trout to minimize the loss of the incident.
The replacement fish will be released in 2023, 6 to 8 weeks later than originally scheduled.
The Hagerman Hatchery is one of 20 fish hatcheries owned or managed by Idaho Fish and Game. The hatchery produces and stocks over 30 million fish in rivers, lakes and reservoirs each year in Idaho.
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