90,000 Additional Trout to be Euthanized

[Rayorsa]

Furunculosis strikes again! Just received info that another 90k trout are going for a ride to the landfill. Just can't catch a break from furunculosis.

Hoping for a better season in 2015....

[Ms Grit]

Browns?

[Bucksnbows]

Brook trout.  These fish had previously shown positive and were fed the medicated feed which seemingly took care of it.  But as the Division is getting ready to stock them this week, they tested positive a second time and were euthanized per the protocols the Division had set in place.  We may not be done just yet.  The focus is quickly turning to implement the various steps they need to rid the hatchery of furunculosis in future years. 

[MJK50]

 None of the waters in Mercer County will get any more fish as all stockings for this area have now been canceled. I call BS. Let us buy our trout stamps and licenses then tell us the fish are sick and need to be killed? If it was brookies that were sick why are we not getting any of those unaffected rainbows they still have? From what I've seen they only stocked browns here anyway so WTF? I called the hatchery to get answers but all he could tell me was they are trying their best. Thats not good enough when we spent good money for something thats not there. 

Throw us a bone F&G, free trout stamps next year for those that bought this year would be a good starting place, better communication in the future with the public is a must. Maybe we need to do an investigation too, as something smells and it's not fish.

[Haskell_Hunter]

I don't think the department or the hatchery is trying to scam us out of money. These things happen, and it's good to see that they are trying to manage the outbreak of a pathogen versus just throwing the fish in the rivers. Having them give out free trout stamps next year restricts their ability to have enough money to properly manage the hatchery.

 

It's unfortunate that these things happen, but it's not like it happens every year, and it's important to note that they're not just dumping sick fish into the rivers.

[MJK50]

I don't know. We get lied to all the time these days and I'm to the point I can't believe a word from anyone anymore. Just pisses me off we get the shaft in Mercer no matter what. If they told the truth about how many were stocked before the season started we only have about 2000 less than last year in the feeder canal and there is actually more in the Assunpink Creek. But like I said how can you believe anyone who works for the government anymore with all these scandals happening?

[BowhunterNJ]

Cynicism aside (trust me I'm in that camp with you on the abuse by politicians as a whole)...I think NJDFW is doing the right thing here. I would much rather have them err on the side of caution than potentially harm the natural trout populations, the streams/rivers/lakes, and the ecosystem by introducing a disease they could otherwise keep out of that system. Granted it sucks as stockings go down, but that's a short term issue that will get resolved in future years. And while it would be nice to have a "credit" for a trout stamp next year, the reality is, the stocking program (even as it failed) cost as much if not more to manage this year. So even if you did the "credit", they would still need a way to pay for the program's cost for next year. This is an unfortunate situation, but their management approach to it is what our trout stamps are intended to pay for as well...it's about the trout management in this state, not exclusively to guarantee stocking numbers in certain locations. Again, I'm not disagreeing that it sucks, it does...but I think NJDFW is handling it well in respect to the euthanasia of the trout to protect the environment and the hatchery. There's a longer term concern here than just this year's stockings IMHO.

 

 

Adjusted Trout Stockings: 2014 Trout Allocation Schedule

[Bucksnbows]

There is not really anything they could have done differently.  They bent over backwards to put out every single tiny bit of information since the outbreak occurred if anglers would bother to take time to read their website as well as countless posts on it here and on multiple hunting and fishing forums, newspaper articles, radio interviews, websites, etc.  Some anglers will never be pleased, but it certainly is not a scandal by any stretch of the imagination.   

[Bucksnbows]

I should add that I expect one of the greatest trout seasons ever for NJ since most are giving up and I fish year round.  Too few understand the real fishery we have in NJ when it comes to trout......