Hatchery News
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Hatchery Re-Opened!
With funds from the New York State Dormitory Authority, through a grant from Assemblywoman Ginny Fields, the Environmental Protection Fund Municipal Grants program, and supporters like you, we are happy that the cooperative efforts of the New York State Office of Parks Recreation and Historic Preservation and the Friends of Connetquot have finally succeeded in updating the water supply of the historic trout hatchery at Connetquot River State Park Preserve. The hatchery is back in operation and using disease-free water to incubate disease-free trout eggs and to raise fry to fingerling-size before going out to the regular holding ponds. We have begun with rainbow trout and expect to acquire brown and brook trout eggs in the fall, and repeat this annually. To grow from hatching to stocking-sized, trout takes anywhere from 12 to 15 months. Meanwhile, NYS Parks will continue to acquire fish from outside hatcheries to keep the lower river populated with fish for anglers’ enjoyment until our own trout production is sufficient both for the Connetquot Preserve and to share with other New York State parks in Long Island. (Be sure to watch the video below the donation form.)
To get approval for re-starting hatchery operations, the Friends volunteered to partner with local fishing clubs and supportive donors to help defray the costs of trout eggs and food for at least the first year of full-scale production until revenue from anglers’ visits picks-up again. We have only just begun, and still face a long road ahead, so we need your continued support.