Steps Taken to Address Disease Affecting Portion of Pequest Raceway System
In order to control a disease that has affected a section of the Pequest Trout Hatchery in Warren County, the NJ DEP Division of Fish and Wildlife is euthanizing a small portion of its trout population and taking other steps to protect the overall integrity of the facility.
Furunculosis, a fatal disease affecting cold water species of fish such as trout, was discovered recently in the lowermost portion of the concrete raceway system used to raise trout.
In all, about 25,000 fish will be euthanized, a small portion of the more than 600,000 trout the hatchery raises every year. The Division believes the disease was transferred to the hatchery by ospreys and herons. These birds, feeding on infected fish in the wild, may have spread the bacteria through contact when feeding on fish in the affected pool at the hatchery.
The hatchery carries sufficient surplus of trout and anticipates only minimal impacts to the fall, winter and spring stocking programs. Approximately 20,000 two-year old brook, brown and rainbow trout will still be distributed in the upcoming fall program which begins October 8 (see
http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/flstk13.htm for details).
For more information, see the DEP news release at
http://www.state.nj.us/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0092.htm .
