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Erwin NFH and the North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission (NCWRC) have worked together for many years to produce triploid trout eggs for North Carolina and other states. NWRC have and maintain the equipment needed for producing triploid trout eggs via pressure treatment and Erwin NFH provides the eggs. Staff from Marion SFH or Bobby Setzer Memorial SFH travel to Erwin NFH several times each year when the various strains and species of trout broodsotck populations are determined to have the right number of eggs to meet the specific triploid request. It is quite amazing that the fragile eggs can survive the extreme pressure of the pressure shocking chambers (Over 9,500 psi!). This high pressure at just the right time causes the cells inside the eggs to intentionally retain an additional set of chromosomes creating “triploid” fish which are reproductively sterile. Triploid fish are used all over the world to assist fishery managers achieve a balance of stocking fish for anglers to catch while not jeopardizing native populations, that could potentially be impacted though hybridization or non-native species reproducing in certain locations.
This is a great partnership and allows Erwin NFH to provide triploid eggs not only to North Carolina hatcheries, but several others state and federal hatcheries as well. Together Erwin NFH and NCWRC produce around 3 million triploid rainbow and brook trout eggs each year.
