Chapter 2 The Need for Conservation
Appendix 2-2
Success Story 2 — How Conservation Actions Help Protect Species
The Conservation Aquaculture Center (CAC) and Aquatic Species Propagation, Research, and Restocking
Since 2008, the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) has been working to protect and restore aquatic nongame species through propagation. With humble beginnings in a prefabricated shed with a few buckets and water lines, the Conservation Aquaculture Center (CAC) in Marion, NC, has worked to propagate rare and declining freshwater fish, mussels, and aquatic snails for restocking into appropriate habitats where they occurred historically. The CAC program has grown significantly over the years, moving from the small original shed to an old tractor barn, and now to a new modern facility which makes it one of the nation’s largest nongame hatcheries. It is equipped with state-of-the-art aquaculture systems, automated mechanisms that maximize capacity, and lab space for research efforts. Even in an old tractor shed, the CAC
propagation efforts helped to produce thousands of individuals of rare species, preventing extinction, developing aquaculture techniques that remain a model for other facilities, and proving the use of captive propagation to be incredibly useful for managing Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN).
New CAC facility hatchery systems in Marion, NC.
Designed with flexibility in mind, the updated facility is versatile in its uses. In addition to propagation efforts, the CAC can also house animals long-term until habitat is available for reintroduction. This capacity allows the CAC to act as an “ark” that sustains a species until a suitable habitat is available for restocking in the wild. An example is when the CAC provides temporary refuge for animals removed from habitats below dam removal sites until they can be restocked post-construction.
The CAC collaborates with partners like Conservation Fisheries, Inc. (CFI), NC State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, and Warm Springs National Fish Hatchery to increase capacity
2025 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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