Well it seems the outbreak of Furunculosis at Pequest has not been eradicated. There have been no updates on the website as to the effectiveness of the biosecurity measures implemented to eradicate the disease not just control it and thats why only rainbows are being stocked again not because they are easier to catch. I'm sure those who trout fish know about the saga going on since the fall of 13'. They have cancelled brook and brown trout production since 13 and there are no plans to restart it. This disease apparently is still very much present in the raceways and that is why they have stopped all brook and brown trout production. For those who like bows' and only bows' you will have all you can handle as they are resistant to the disease, but apparently what they are doing is not working or they would be producing browns and brooks like they have for the past 30 years. Other states like NY and PA have hatcheries that apparently have figured out how to control the disease because they are still producing all three species in abundance.
Unless the state indicates they will restart brown and brook trout stocking this will be the last year a lot of fisherman will be buying licenses and stamps, including me. I'll fish PA.
Several things wrong with your rant. Funny how some assume your facts are all correct
There
are plans to reintroduce brown trout. But they will not begin until the roofs with the solar panels are over the raceways so they can keep birds out and then ensure the entire system is free of furunculosis. They have had good success sterilizing the raceways, but there are still birds of prey getting in and until that can be stopped, there is no sense taking a chance at new brown trout stock. Brook trout being our only native trout (a char, actually), the Division may never raise them again but rather increase protections for wild brookies. I suggest strongly everyone interested in wild trout take the Division's wild trout survey to learn more about the biologists' concerns for our wild fish:
NJDEP Division of Fish & Wildlife - Take the Wild Trout Survey
That said, brown eggs will not come in for at least 3 more years. When they do, they have to come from a hatchery either without furunculosis or one where the brown trout are exposed like our rainbows have been here, but which do not break out in disease - again, like our rainbows in NJ.
When you say, "other states like NY and PA have hatcheries that apparently have figured out how to control the disease...." you would be wrong again. They have furunculosis in nearly 100% of their hatchery systems, but they just stock the diseased fish or have disease resistant strains, again, like our current rainbow stocks. You as an angler have to decide for yourself if you want a disease free hatchery or if you're OK with the state raising fish carrying diseases (furunculosis is just one of many that trout and other fish can succumb to including IPN and others). Once the bid goes out for the roofs over the raceways and the solar panels are applied on those roofs, the Division can begin to stop worrying about birds of prey. Then they can start bringing in brown trout eggs, raising the fish, seeing how they do, and then eventually stocking them into the rivers again. But that is 5-7 years away right now.
