02-22-2004, 02:09 AM
[font "Arial"][size 2]Backed by Bass Pro Shops and RBC Centura, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission announced today a partnership to restore largemouth bass in the Roanoke and Chowan rivers. Later this month, biologists with the Commission’s Division of Inland Fisheries will stock 12,000 sub-adult largemouth bass, the first step in an unprecedented three-phase stocking effort to help jump-start these heralded largemouth bass fisheries, decimated by Hurricane Isabel last fall.
While the Commission's fish hatcheries annually stock more than 30,000 largemouth bass fingerlings into waters across the coastal region — usually after fish kills — this is the first time that 6- to 8-inch, sub-adult bass will be purchased and stocked. Normally, the $2-per-fish expense incurred from stocking sub-adult bass precludes using these larger bass in fish-restoration efforts.
Bass Pro Shops is giving the Commission $12,000 to purchase all 6,000 sub-adult bass to be stocked in the Roanoke River. RBC Centura is supporting the effort to restore largemouth bass in the Chowan River.
“Without the support of Bass Pro Shops and RBC Centura, the Commission would never be able to undertake this ambitious and unprecedented restoration effort,” said Chad Thomas, the Commission's coastal region fisheries research coordinator. “We typically stock 1- to 2-inch largemouth bass, and it takes them two or three years to grow to a catchable size. These donations will enable anglers to see tangible results this year.”
The unusual size of the largemouth bass purchased for this fish-restoration effort creates a unique research opportunity. Prior to stocking, Commission biologists will microtag each bass on Feb. 24 and 25 at the Edenton National Fish Hatchery to monitor the effects of the stocking effort as well as evaluate the stocked fish’s contribution to the existing wild population.
“For Bass Pro Shops, there was no question that this project conforms with our conservation-and-management philosophy because the Roanoke River is one of North Carolina's most ecologically important rivers," said Martin McDonald, Bass Pro Shops' director of conservation. "We're especially pleased that our funding of this project will address anglers' requests with immediacy as well as provide important data to the growing body of largemouth bass research.”
Thomas said that stockings of 8-inch bass should provide several advantages over fingerling stockings.
“Typically, largemouth bass in the wild have the highest mortalities after their first winter. Because we are stocking these 8-inch bass in early spring, at age 1, they will not be subject to the rigors of a first winter, and we anticipate survival will be better,” Thomas said. “Also, largemouth bass in coastal North Carolina grow to 10- to 12-inches by the fall of their second year, which means these sub-adult fish could conceivably be of catchable-size during the same year they’re stocked. This would provide almost immediate benefits to anglers.”
Biologists also expect that these fish will spawn in 2005, which would help accelerate the natural recovery process of the largemouth bass populations in the Roanoke and Chowan rivers.
To determine growth, movement and survival rates of these stocked fish, biologists will insert tiny, magnetized wire tags into the cheek of each fish prior to its release. Beginning one month after stocking, they will conduct periodic recapture sampling to determine if the stocking effort was successful. Biologists will use hand-held metal detectors to scan each fish collected, and if the fish “beeps”, it is a tagged fish. The stocking evaluation will continue for several years.
In addition to this sub-adult bass stocking and tagging effort, the Commission will stock 1 million bass fingerlings in June in the Roanoke, Chowan, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Scuppernong and Alligator rivers. Of these 1 million fingerlings, 50,000 will be microtagged for research purposes.
“Our survey work after Hurricane Isabel indicated significant reductions in the numbers of predator fish that would normally feed on 1- to 2-inch bass,” Thomas said. “For this reason we want to stock fingerlings in all of our major rivers in the northeast.”
The final phase of the stocking effort will be microtagging and stocking 12,000, 5-inch bass into the Roanoke and Chowan rivers in October. Commission biologists will evaluate all three stockings to determine which introduction provides the most successful recovery strategy.
[Media Note: On Wednesday, Feb. 25, at 10 a.m., the Wildlife Commission will host a press conference for media to view firsthand the tagging and stocking effort at the Edenton Fish Hatchery. The address for Edenton Fish Hatchery is 1104 W. Queen Street, Edenton, NC 27932. Chad Thomas, coastal region fisheries research coordinator, will be available to address media questions, along with representatives from Bass Pro Shops. If interested, please contact Jodie L. Best at 919-662-4778 or Chad Thomas at 252-335-4961. This news release is available on the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission’s Web site, [url "http://www.ncwildlife.org"]www.ncwildlife.org[/url]. See the “press releases/what’s new” link on the home page.] [/size][/font][font "Signboard"][size 5][/size][/font]
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While the Commission's fish hatcheries annually stock more than 30,000 largemouth bass fingerlings into waters across the coastal region — usually after fish kills — this is the first time that 6- to 8-inch, sub-adult bass will be purchased and stocked. Normally, the $2-per-fish expense incurred from stocking sub-adult bass precludes using these larger bass in fish-restoration efforts.
Bass Pro Shops is giving the Commission $12,000 to purchase all 6,000 sub-adult bass to be stocked in the Roanoke River. RBC Centura is supporting the effort to restore largemouth bass in the Chowan River.
“Without the support of Bass Pro Shops and RBC Centura, the Commission would never be able to undertake this ambitious and unprecedented restoration effort,” said Chad Thomas, the Commission's coastal region fisheries research coordinator. “We typically stock 1- to 2-inch largemouth bass, and it takes them two or three years to grow to a catchable size. These donations will enable anglers to see tangible results this year.”
The unusual size of the largemouth bass purchased for this fish-restoration effort creates a unique research opportunity. Prior to stocking, Commission biologists will microtag each bass on Feb. 24 and 25 at the Edenton National Fish Hatchery to monitor the effects of the stocking effort as well as evaluate the stocked fish’s contribution to the existing wild population.
“For Bass Pro Shops, there was no question that this project conforms with our conservation-and-management philosophy because the Roanoke River is one of North Carolina's most ecologically important rivers," said Martin McDonald, Bass Pro Shops' director of conservation. "We're especially pleased that our funding of this project will address anglers' requests with immediacy as well as provide important data to the growing body of largemouth bass research.”
Thomas said that stockings of 8-inch bass should provide several advantages over fingerling stockings.
“Typically, largemouth bass in the wild have the highest mortalities after their first winter. Because we are stocking these 8-inch bass in early spring, at age 1, they will not be subject to the rigors of a first winter, and we anticipate survival will be better,” Thomas said. “Also, largemouth bass in coastal North Carolina grow to 10- to 12-inches by the fall of their second year, which means these sub-adult fish could conceivably be of catchable-size during the same year they’re stocked. This would provide almost immediate benefits to anglers.”
Biologists also expect that these fish will spawn in 2005, which would help accelerate the natural recovery process of the largemouth bass populations in the Roanoke and Chowan rivers.
To determine growth, movement and survival rates of these stocked fish, biologists will insert tiny, magnetized wire tags into the cheek of each fish prior to its release. Beginning one month after stocking, they will conduct periodic recapture sampling to determine if the stocking effort was successful. Biologists will use hand-held metal detectors to scan each fish collected, and if the fish “beeps”, it is a tagged fish. The stocking evaluation will continue for several years.
In addition to this sub-adult bass stocking and tagging effort, the Commission will stock 1 million bass fingerlings in June in the Roanoke, Chowan, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Scuppernong and Alligator rivers. Of these 1 million fingerlings, 50,000 will be microtagged for research purposes.
“Our survey work after Hurricane Isabel indicated significant reductions in the numbers of predator fish that would normally feed on 1- to 2-inch bass,” Thomas said. “For this reason we want to stock fingerlings in all of our major rivers in the northeast.”
The final phase of the stocking effort will be microtagging and stocking 12,000, 5-inch bass into the Roanoke and Chowan rivers in October. Commission biologists will evaluate all three stockings to determine which introduction provides the most successful recovery strategy.
[Media Note: On Wednesday, Feb. 25, at 10 a.m., the Wildlife Commission will host a press conference for media to view firsthand the tagging and stocking effort at the Edenton Fish Hatchery. The address for Edenton Fish Hatchery is 1104 W. Queen Street, Edenton, NC 27932. Chad Thomas, coastal region fisheries research coordinator, will be available to address media questions, along with representatives from Bass Pro Shops. If interested, please contact Jodie L. Best at 919-662-4778 or Chad Thomas at 252-335-4961. This news release is available on the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission’s Web site, [url "http://www.ncwildlife.org"]www.ncwildlife.org[/url]. See the “press releases/what’s new” link on the home page.] [/size][/font][font "Signboard"][size 5][/size][/font]
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