The Friends
are proud to announce that we have secured the following capacity
building grants that will greatly help us in strengthening our
organization for the benefit of Connetquot River State Park Preserve:
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SIGN
OUR PETITION! Here's how you can help try
to re-open the Connetquot Hatchery as soon as
practical. Please
print, sign and circulate
this petition among your neighbors and friends.
When completed, please return it to:
The New York State Departments of Environmental
Conservation and Parks Recreation and Historic
Preservation are working along with an independent
fisheries consultant to come up with a plan to
eventually eliminate IPN from the trout in
Connetquot State Park Preserve. It is the
understanding of the Friends, that this plan will
take into consideration all of the related issues
including fish pathology, environmental impacts on
the ecosystem, historic preservation, park
management and economics.
HEALTH
Infectious Pancreatic Necrosis (IPN)
is a virus that primarily effects juvenile trout.
IPN is not harmful to humans.
HISTORY
The hatchery has operated
successfully and continuously for over 140 years.
The presence of IPN at Connetquot
was first confirmed by tests in 2006.
The Connetquot hatchery is one of
the most successful programs in the State for Brook
Trout.
Connetquot trout are genetically
unique. Brook, brown and rainbows trout at
Connetquot have been bred from a combination of gene
pools including sea run fish. New trout may or may
not be as successful in the Connetquot River.
Connetquot Trout are almost free
from boils, square tail and other diseases. No
chemicals or drugs are currently required.
The Connetquot Hatchery is an
integral portion of the historic framework and
cultural landscape of the Connetquot Preserve.
SCIENCE
In order to eliminate IPN from
Connetquot it is important that only fish which are
IPN free are used as a source of eggs. It is also
important that fish density and water source be
carefully managed at the hatchery to eliminate
horizontal transmission of the disease.
Even if all of the fish in the
Connetquot were destroyed, there is no guarantee
that IPN would not be reintroduced in a short time
from muskrats, raccoons, rats, possums, gulls,
egrets, osprey, invertebrates and eels all of which
have constant access to the River and all of which
may carry IPN.
It is clear that a comprehensive
scientific investigation including testing of fish
at various locations in the river will be required
to attain optimal results and long term health of
Connetquot trout.
LAW
New York's State Environmental
Quality Review Act (SEQR) requires all state and
local government agencies to consider environmental
impacts equally with social and economic factors
during discretionary decision-making. SEQR requires
the agencies to balance the environmental impacts
with social and economic factors when deciding to
approve or undertake an "Action". Closing the
hatchery will impact the entire Connetquot estuary
ecosystem including Park economics, ecology and
cultural landscape including the historic buildings
and activities. No study has been done.
If the hatchery license is not
renewed there is no guarantee that the hatchery can ever be
reopened due to the potential conflict between
current regulations and the status of the hatchery
on the National Registry of Historic buildings.
NYS DEC maintains that effective
January 1, 2008 it is illegal for any one to possess
or release fish into the waters of the State of new
York unless those fish have been certified as being
IPN free within the prior 12 months. The FOC agree
that Regulation 188.1 is the enabling portion of the
Reg. which mandates a fish health certification
report as described in 188.2 on all fish to be
released. We also agree that Regulation 188.2
provides that the report indicate that the fish are
free of IPN. However 188.1(b) (2) provides that fish
can be released without a health certification
report pursuant to permit issued by the
department in its discretion.
IPN is not considered a reportable
disease by the US government, England and most other
states including Pennsylvania.
FINANCE
Approximately 230,000 visitors log
into the Connetquot Preserve. Based on anecdotal
information almost 80 % of those visitors go to see
the hatchery. No one is going to pay to see empty
concrete ponds. Few anglers will pay to fish and not
catch.
It makes no sense to intentionally
reduce the Preserves revenue steam, especially
considering our national and state budget crises.
Plans for a new hatchery that
relies on well water would involve complex and
expensive permitting, design and construction
issues.
Replacing natural stream flow with
pumped water is an expensive environmental step
backwards. Yearly operating costs would skyrocket
with massive pumps running 24 hours a day.
ALTERNATIVE
There is no downside to allowing
Connetquot to operate as an isolated hatchery and
fishery, with no fish shipped out. Only clean eggs
would be used for breeding and all hatchery
operations would be conducted in consultation with
an expert.
Allowing the hatchery to operate on
a limited basis will allow for public debate and
considered review of the science, preservation,
financial and operational issues.
WE NEED YOUR HELP!
The experts required to consult on managing IPN are
expensive and it is unclear when or how the State
will be able to fund this effort.
Please send your donations to:
Friends of Connetquot
Box 472 Oakdale, NY 11769
Here you'll find links to stories that have run in
local publications on the Hatchery. Most of
these stories can also be found on our "In
The News" page.
UPDATE: August 6, 2009 Dr. Richard Steinberger extensively researched the
issue of the hatchery closing for the
Idle Hour Fly
Fishers titled, Connetquot River State Park Trout
Hatchery: Victim of Nature and Dysfunctional
Government.
UPDATE: August 6, 2009
Lawrence Merryman of the Great South Bay Audubon Society wrote the following
letter to Commissioner Carol Ash:
Re: Connetquot River State Park
Preserve - Fish Hatchery
Dear Commissioner Ash:
On November 5, 2008, I forwarded a letter outlining the concerns of the Great
South Bay Audubon Society regarding the decision to close the Fish Hatchery at
the Connetquot River State Park Preserve. Since that letter, the problems that
would ensue if the hatchery were closed down have happened. It is our
understanding that the paid entry of fisherman is down by 90%, and the total
paid entry of visitors is down by 30%. We dont really know if these shocking
figures are correct, but it is a fact that paid entries are down substantially.
The members of the Great South Bay Audubon Society, numbering nearly 1,000
citizens on the south shore of Suffolk County, continue to be very concerned
about the snail like progress being made to reopen the Fish Hatchery - formally
a jewel in the crown of State parklands in our area. We are beseeching you to
work with the Department of Environmental Conservation to quickly remedy this
problem and restore our hatchery so the fishermen, and those who previously came
to observe and enjoy it can once again take pleasure in nature at this treasured
site.
On August 18th a rally will be held to demand that something positive be done
to quickly reopen the hatchery. This is an issue that is not going away until
positive remedial action is taken. Once again, the members of the Great South
Bay Audubon Society respectfully request that whatever steps are needed to
reopen the hatchery be immediately undertaken. I am certain that you and the DEC
will develop a quick and reasoned approach to this problem. I would greatly
appreciate it if you would contact me to indicate when you are going to reopen
the hatchery. I can be reached at my email address hawkauk7@optonline.net or by
telephone at 631-669-6473. Thank you.
Yours Truly,
Lawrence A. Merryman
Conservation Chairman
Great South Bay Audubon Society
UPDATE: July 28, 2009
Town of Islip Supervisor Phil Nolan will hold a press conference on August
18th at 11:00 at the Connetquot State Park Preserve
Hatchery. This conference will serve as a community
plea for complete and immediate State funding for a
full-spectrum Environmental review that could
preserve the Connetquot Hatchery.
We would
encourage interested parties that feel the N.Y.S. Parks
needs to focus on reopening the hatchery to attend.
This would include representatives of the local
tackle shops, hotels, fisherman, boy and girl
scouts, BOCES, Casting for Recovery, handicap
fisherman etc. As many of you know, the number of
fisherman is down 90% and the total number of
visitors to the Park may be down as much as 30%. We
need to put pressure on N.Y.S. Parks to get the
hatchery back in action.
For more information on the event, please contact
the Office of Public Information at 631-224-5485.
We look forward to seeing you there.
UPDATE: July 21, 2009 In this Newsday video,
Chart Guthrie, the DEC Regional Fisheries Manager of Long Island discusses Electrofishing in the Connetquot
River, part of which includes testing for IPN in the river:
UPDATE: March 17, 2009 After over 120 years of continuous operation, the hatchery was temporarily
closed on December 31, as a first step toward achieving the DEC goal of
eliminating IPN from the Connetquot River.
DEC and Parks have invited two consultants to submit bids for a comprehensive
study of the "IPN problem". The first group (HDR) visited the Preserve in
December and submitted their bid in January. The HDR bid will not be made public
until the second consultant (Fresh Water Institute) has visited the Preserve in
March and has submitted their bid. This is being done to keep the bid process
fair. It is unlikely that any testing of fish in the river or testing of river
water or trial hatching or hatchery cleanup will be done until a consultant is
approved and a study is funded by the State.
Approximately 60,000 trout were released in December in anticipation of the
hatchery being closed. Visual observations by Preserve staff and members of the
Idle Hour Fly Fishing Club indicate that the number of fish in the lower brook
is about 10% of the norm for this time of year. This drop in fish numbers
appears to be a product of the DEC "no feed" policy, as well as fishing and
predation. Fish may swim up river from the main pond in early summer to find
cooler water, but the Friends remain concerned that the fishing in August and
September will be very poor in comparison to the past 100 years. Fishing may be
particularly slow on those beats that rely on daily feeding to hold trout.
Habitat improvements at those locations are a possible long term solution, but
it will still be tough going this year for the inexperienced or handicap angler.
The Friends remain concerned that very poor fishing on many beats and fewer fish
on all beats will result in a significant drop in fishermen and Preserve
revenues for 2009.
UPDATE: December 24, 2008
FLY FISHING SEASON
OPENS EARLY
TAKING FISH ENCOURAGED AT CONNETQUOT RIVER STATE
PARK PRESERVE
The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and
Historic Preservation will open Connetquot River
State Park Preserve one month earlier, January 3rd
to fly fishing this winter. Anglers will be allowed
to keep 10 fish per day until further notice. The
earlier season and increased fish take will help to
decrease the river trout population in an effort to
reduce Infectious Pancreatic Necrosis (IPN). IPN is
a serious fish disease that was found in fish tested
at the Connetquot hatchery. While there is no known
health threat to humans who handle or consume fish
that contain the IPN virus, it is capable of causing
extensive mortality in young trout.
Only fly fishing with fly rod, reel, and artificial
flies is permitted at designated areas. A valid New
York State fishing license is required; wading and
boot regulations apply. Anglers must stop fishing
when (10) trout are in possession and injured fish
should not be released. Boats are available for
fishing in the Main Pond weather permitting.
Thirty sites are available per session, which are as
follows:
January through March
Sessions: 8:00am - 12:00noon; 12:00noon - 4:00pm
Wednesday - Sunday April through September
Sessions: 7:00am - 11:00am; 12:00noon - 4:00pm;
4:00pm - sunset
Tuesday - Sunday October 1st through 15th
Sessions: 8:00am - 12:00noon; 12:00noon
- 4:00pm
Wednesday - Sunday
Reservations are required and must be made one week
in advance, starting on Sunday at 8:00am. Anglers
should call the park directly, at 631-581-1005, to
make a reservation or to request more specific
information about fishing opportunities. The session
fee will remain $20.00 in 2009.
For more information about New York State Parks,
visit their website at
www.nysparks.com.
UPDATE
- 12/8/2008:
State Senator Owen H. Johnson has contacted
Commissioner Grannis with a request to "postpone any
decision on the closing of the hatchery at
Connetquot State Park."
Click here to read
the full letter.
UPDATE
- 11/21/2008:
Friends board member Keith Snedecor has sent a letter to
DEC Commissioner Pete Grannis.
Click here to read.
UPDATE
- 11/17/2008:
Friends President Bob Labuski has sent a letter to
DEC Commissioner Pete Grannis.
Click here to read.
SIGN
OUR PETITION! Here's how you can help try
to re-open the Connetquot Hatchery as soon as
practical. Please
print, sign and circulate
