Montana Wildlife Group Wants to End Bird Killing at Fish Hatchery

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — Wildlife advocates have started a petition to pressure state officials to stop killing ospreys, great blue herons and other birds that eat or harass bass at the Miles City Fish Hatchery.

Steve Regele with Yellowstone Valley Audubon Society says he found out state workers had been killing birds at the hatchery to protect its fish after fellow Audubon members noted a lack of osprey near Miles City.

The state hatchery program manager said his employees tried everything in their means to scare off fish-eating birds but were ultimately unsuccessful.

Birds killed an estimated 800 fish between 2017 and 2019 some of them older brood stock.