What's happening
This bill requires New York to modernize trout stocking by developing and using brood stock with higher survival and thermal tolerance.
Why it matters
Adapts trout stocking to climate realities. By requiring the development of brood stock with higher thermal tolerance, the bill directly addresses the increasing threat of warmer water temperatures due to climate change, aiming to ensure trout populations—and the fishing economy—can persist as habitats change.
Promotes use of locally adapted genetics. The mandate to collect eggs from wild and holdover trout (especially those surviving in warmer water) encourages the use of fish already demonstrating resilience, potentially leading to stronger, more sustainable populations than traditional hatchery strains.
Increases transparency and accountability. The requirement for public reporting on stocking practices—including comparisons to other states and discussion of adaptive strategies—means anglers, conservationists, and the public will have better insight into state practices and outcomes.
Targets habitat restoration and angler education. By calling for outreach on trout survival and identifying specific water bodies for pilot programs and possible habitat restoration, the bill links stocking reform to broader ecosystem health and responsible fishing practices, not just hatchery management.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Modernize Trout Stocking Rules
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to environmental conservation
- Recommitted to rules
- Ordered to third reading cal.1145
- Committee discharged and committed to rules
- Reported and committed to finance
- Referred to environmental conservation
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Modernize Trout Stocking
In Assembly Committee · Environmental Conservation · Sponsor Carrie Woerner
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
5021
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
April 3, 2019
Introduced by Sen. METZGER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Environmental Conservation
AN ACT to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to trout stocking practices of the department of environmental conservation
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "healthy coldwater fisheries act".
§ 2. Legislative findings. 1. New York state has a rich history as a freshwater sports fishing destination. In particular, coldwater trout fisheries, such as the West branch of the Ausable river and the Beaverkill river, are cited as birthplaces of modern trout fishing. Furthermore, New York has the second highest number of anglers in the United States. Our state's fisheries generate $2.7 billion in revenues, each year.
2. Climate change and habitat degradation pose imminent threats to the viability of these fisheries and the local economies dependent upon them. Specifically, increases in peak water temperatures cause fish mortality, and over time, marginalize once-viable trout habitat.
3. Current state hatchery stocking practices have not kept pace with other states in the northeastern United States, whom have developed brood stocks of trout from holdover and wild stream-bred trout with higher thermal tolerances. As a result, many in-state fishermen increasingly seek out-of-state fishing opportunities.
4. Modernizing trout stocking practices would likely decrease burdens on state hatcheries, by producing trout with greater survival characteristics.
5. Under the aegis of the department of environmental conservation, there is merit and value in establishing modern hatchery practices to ensure the future health of our coldwater fisheries.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD11047-02-9
S. 5021 2
§ 3. The environmental conservation law is amended by adding a new section 11-0508 to read as follows: § 11-0508. Survivor strain trout stocking program.
1. No later than December thirty-first, two thousand twenty, the department shall promulgate regulations on the trout hatchery breeding and stocking practices in the waters of the state, to develop brood stock with higher thermal and survival characteristics. Such regulations shall require state trout hatcheries to: (a) not less than once every three years, collect eggs and rear brood-stock trout from wild, stream born trout and holdover trout, particularly those trout with higher thermal tolerances, and develop broods of hatchery trout with potentially higher thermal tolerances and survival characteristics; (b) develop hatchery practices to encourage greater genetic diversity and survival characteristics among hatchery trout; and (c) identify certain water bodies, or portions thereof, that would benefit from the development of trout brood stocks with higher thermal tolerances and survival characteristics in potentially marginal habitats. Such regulations shall be protective of native and heritage strain brook trout populations.
2. No later than December thirty-first, two thousand twenty, the department shall make publicly available, on its website, the findings of a report on trout stocking practices within the state. Such reports shall discuss, at a minimum: (a) comparisons with other state stocking practices in the northeastern United States; (b) potential adaptive stocking measures to promote trout survival in thermally marginal waters; (c) potential stream habitat restoration measures to promote trout survival in thermally marginal waters; (d) public outreach measures to promote practices that could improve trout survival, such as proper trout handling and catch-and-release; (e) identification of thermally marginal water bodies that would benefit from developing more resilient and modern stocking practices; and (f) recommended regulations on trout stocking practices to promote increased fish survival and reproductive viability.
3. No later than December twenty-first, two thousand twenty-one, the department shall implement a pilot program in at least five water bodies for stocking "survivor strain" hatchery trout reared from wild and holdover trout with higher thermal tolerances and survival characteristics, pursuant to subdivision one of this section. Such pilot program shall include: (a) one water body within the Hudson river watershed; (b) one water body within the St. Lawrence river watershed; (c) one water body within the Delaware river watershed; (d) one water body within the Genesee river watershed; and (e) one water body within Nassau county or Suffolk county. Such stockings shall be done in a manner protective of native and heritage strain brook trout populations.
§ 4. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to trout stocking practices of the department of environmental conservation
Purpose
To establish modern hatchery practices to ensure the health of New York's cold-water fisheries.
Summary of provisions
Section 1- Title of the bill "Healthy Coldwater Fisheries Act".
Section 2 - Legislative findings - The findings include acknowledging New York as a freshwater sport fishing destination. New York has the second highest number of anglers in the United States. Climate change and habitat degradation pose imminent threats to fisheries and the communities that relay on them. Current hatchery practices have not kept pace with other northeastern states. Modernizing trout stocking prac- tices will decrease burdens on state hatcheries and produce trout with greater survival characteristics. Therefore, the Department of Environ- mental Conservation must establish modernized hatchery practices.
Section 3 - The environmental conservation law is amended by adding a new section 11-508 entitled "Survivor strain trout stocking program". No later than December 31', 2020, the department shall promulgate regu- lations that direct hatcheries in the state to develop brood stock with higher thermal and survival characteristics. The regulations will require trout hatcheries to collect eggs from trout with higher thermal tolerances to develop trout with survival characteristics, develop hatchery practices to encourage greater genetic diversity and survival characteristic, and identify water bodies, that would benefit from the development of trout brook stocks with higher thermal tolerances. These regulations must be protective of native and heritage strain brook trout populations.
This section also requires the department to report on trout stocking practices in the state. The report must contain : 1) a comparison with other state stocking practices in the Northeast, 2) stocking measures to promote trout survival in thermally marginal waters, 3) stream restora- tion measures to promote trout survival, 4) public outreach measures to promote trout survival, 5) the identification of marginal water bodies that would benefit from resilient stocking practices, and 6) recommended regulations to promote increased fish survival and reproductive viabil- ity.
No later than December 31, 2021 the department shall implement a pilot program in at least five water bodies for stocking "survivor strain" hatchery trout. These pilots shall be in the Hudson River watershed, St Lawrence River watershed, Delaware River watershed, Genesee River watershed, and one water body in Nassau or Suffolk county.
Section 4 - Effective Date - Immediately.
Existing law
This is a new law.
Justification
New York's Ausable and Beaverkill Rivers are considered the birthplace of modern trout fishing. In fact, it's estimated that fisheries generate $2.7 billion in economic activity. However, climate change and habitat degradation pose a threat to New York's trout. In particular, warming waters cause increased trout mortality and marginalize habitats for fish.
This legislation seeks to address the challenges facing trout by direct- ing hatcheries to breed trout with higher thermal tolerances and greater survival characteristics.
Legislative history
New Bill
Fiscal implications
To be determined.
Effective date
Immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.