C.R. Edgerton 



For two years Hodson and Sullivan, 

 an assistant professor in zoology at North 

 Carolina State University, have refined the 

 process of administering the hormones 

 needed for striped bass spawning. Their 

 work has been supported by Sea Grant, 

 the National Coastal Resources Research 

 and Development Institute, and the N.C. 

 Agricultural Research Service. 



Meanwhile, because striped bass 

 females spawn for the first time when they 

 are about 5 years old, it takes longer to 

 develop a stock of sexually mature fish 

 that can be used in experiments. 



"It may take another five years before 

 we can close the loop," Hodson says. 

 "That's when we'll be able to say to the 

 farmer out there: 'Here's the way to 

 do it.' " 



Hodson and Sullivan are hoping 

 farmers involved in hybrid striped bass 

 production will continue their own brand 

 of hands-on research. 



"These farmers are impatient," he 

 says. "They'll be working on developing 

 their own ways of domesticating 

 broodstock." 



For example, Lee Brothers developed 

 a hatchery and spawned a few fish this 

 year. 



"We had some success, but we realize 

 it's a slow process," Brothers says. "We'll 

 keep working on them." 



Hodson says there's a difference in 



C.R. Edgerton 



Andy Ginnett tags a mature female 



hands-on research and the kind of 

 research he and Sullivan are doing. 



"They may get something to work for 

 them, but they won't know why it's 

 working," he says. "That's where we come 

 in. We will be able to provide a scientific 

 basis for broodstock development." 



Tom Ellis says the state's Department 

 of Agriculture is encouraging research into 

 broodstock domestication. 



"We need to be able to control the 

 quality of the fish," he says. "And we need 

 to get out of the hunter-gatherer mode and 

 more into the agricultural side. If aqua- 

 culture can produce without competing 

 with recreational fishermen, it makes it 



all the better." 



Hybrid bass farming is not without 

 pitfalls. Fish farmers must be willing to 

 manage their ponds intensively, spend 

 money and time, and heed good advice. 



A lack of a coordinated marketing 

 system could also hinder hybrid striped 

 bass production in the next few years. Ellis 

 says most hybrid bass producers in the 

 state have to create their own markets, as 

 Brothers did. 



"And another thing is that we still 

 don't understand all the environmental 

 factors for hybrid bass," Hodson says. "The 

 riskiest time is when they are harvested 

 and handled. We still don't know enough 

 about it." 



A key to success in this early stage is 

 for growers not to set their sights on what 

 they're getting per pound today, Ellis says. 



"As more people get into it, the price 

 per pound will fall. But still, it's such a 

 high quality fish, it's going to sell." 



Despite the drawbacks, Hodson 

 recommends that people interested in fish 

 farming give hybrid striped bass a try, 



"They need to ask themselves is this 

 something they really want to do," he says. 

 "Then they need to read everything they 

 can about hybrid striped bass. You don't 

 have to be a biologist or have a back- 

 ground in biology to do it. In fact, the only 

 way to learn is by being willing to put in 

 the time it takes to do it." % 3 . 



Ron Hodson checks striper eggs. 



For more information 

 about hybrid striped bass culture 

 contact Ron Hodson at 919/515- 

 2454. Hodson's manual, Raising 

 Hybrid Striped Bass in Ponds, is 

 available for $6 from UNC Sea 

 Grant, Box 8605, NCSU, Raleigh, 

 NC 27695. Ask for publication 

 number UNC-SG-91-05. 



COASTWATCH 5 



