In focus: Onalaska aquaculture students learn to clip trout fins

Onalaska students learn how to clip the fins of juvenile steelhead trout in the steelhead hatchery at Onalaska High School on Monday, Sept. 8. Hatchery fish are clipped to distinguish them from the fish that are raised in the wild. The goal is to clip 20,000 out of the 39,000 steelhead at the Onalaska High School’s hatchery to continue growing in tanks to later be released by the aquaculture class students. The steelhead that don’t make it are studied for research.

A steelhead’s fin is clipped in the steelhead hatchery at Onalaska High School on Monday, Sept. 8.

Steelhead get their fins clipped in the steelhead hatchery at Onalaska High School on Monday, Sept. 8.

Onalaska senior Leon Nederlander clips a steelhead’s fin in the steelhead hatchery at Onalaska High School on Monday, Sept. 8.

An Onalaska student picks up a juvenile steelhead to clip its fin in the steelhead hatchery at Onalaska High School on Monday, Sept. 8.

Steelhead fall into a tank after their fins were clipped in the steelhead hatchery at Onalaska High School on Monday, Sept. 8.

Onalaska senior Christ Acevedo clips the fin of a steelhead in the steelhead hatchery at Onalaska High School on Monday, Sept. 8.

Onalaska student Hunter Wood clips a steelhead’s fin in the steelhead hatchery at Onalaska High School on Monday, Sept. 8.

Onalaska sophomore Emma Sweazy asks Steve a question while learning about the process of clipping steelhead trout fins in the steelhead hatchery at Onalaska High School on Monday, Sept. 8.

Statistics are pictured on a whiteboard in the steelhead hatchery at Onalaska High School on Monday, Sept. 8.

Onalaska students sit outside the steelhead hatchery at Onalaska High School on Monday, Sept. 8.

A juvenile steelhead trout falls into a tank in the steelhead hatchery at Onalaska High School on Monday, Sept. 8.