The NJDEP's Division of Fish and Wildlife has developed spectacular fisheries for a variety of game fish through its state of the art aquaculture facility at the Hackettstown State Fish Hatchery. During the past 20 years, modernization of the hatchery has enabled the division to establish thriving populations of game fish such as northern pike, walleye, hybrid striped bass and muskellunge for New Jersey anglers.
The hatchery rears a total of 15 species of coolwater and warmwater fish and annually produces and stocks an average of 2 million fish. The breeding stock for many of these fish are trapped from the populations that have been established in New Jersey lakes. Trapped fish are brought back to the hatchery where eggs and milt are harvested and the breeder fish are then safely returned to the lake where they were trapped.
Star-Ledger videographer Andre Malok accompanied a crew from the hatchery on a netting operation and filmed the hatchery rearing operation, providing an inside look at the production cycle from lake through spawning to hatchery rearing ponds.
To view Andre's video, visit
http://videos.nj.com/star-ledger/2010/05/spawning_warm_water_fish_speci.html on the NJ.com website; to learn more about the Hackettstown Hatchery and the fish it raises, visit
http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/hacktown.htm on the division's site.
