While past stockings of hatchery fish survived and grew in the Cape Fear River, biologists observed little evidence that adult fish present during spring spawning seasons were able to reproduce successfully. In an effort to reverse this trend, newly hatched Striped Bass fry with Cooper River genetics were transferred in April from the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources to the Edenton National Fish Hatchery, where they were grown to an advanced size and stocked into the Cape Fear River this October and November.
“The goal of using South Carolina genetics in the Cape Fear River Striped Bass population is to see if the hatchery fish will first survive to spawning age, and then to see if they can reproduce naturally,” explained Chris Stewart, biologist supervisor for the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries. “The test here is to determine if the differences in egg characteristics will overcome the challenges to spawning in the system.”
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