By Eric O'Connor
Buffalo, NY – It's another example of the restoration of the once polluted Buffalo River. Nearly 30,000 recently hatched walleye fingerlings were deposited into the Buffalo River Thursday.
Paul McKeown, regional fisheries manager for the state Department of Environmental Conservation, says the transfer of the popular game fish will continue annually until the walleyes are able to reproduce and sustain themselves.
"Since the water quality has improved so much over the last several years due to regulations and clean-up of discharges, we feel that the chances are much better for survival of walleye and natural production to occur," McKeown said. "This is the first step in trying to get this fishery to sustain itself."
DEC officials say only five percent of the transferred walleyes will live to adulthood. But once fully grown, walleyes can reach three feet long and are famous to fishermen for their distinctive flavor.