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The improving water quality of the Chicago River has experts hopeful that 30,000 Channel catfish released into the river on Tuesday will have a good chance of survival.
WBBM Newsradio’s Mike Krauser reports the year-old fish were the first of 100,000 Channel catfish to be released at various locations along the river, in a repopulation effort and habitat restoration project.
Margaret Frisbie, executive director of Friends of the Chicago River, said the release of the catfish is a sign of how far the waterways have come in a short amount of time.
“This is exciting because the Chicago River is evolving into a place where these fish can thrive,” she said.
The restoration project, which will cost $300,000, includes the installation of nesting areas in the river so the catfish will be encouraged to establish homes and breed. While all this is good news for fishermen, we wouldn’t recommend eating your catch just yet. The DNR warns against eating fish caught from the Chicago River because of chlordane and/or polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contamination.
Agencies/Canadajournal
