MISSION STATEMENT
PROTECT, PRESERVE, AND RESTORE wild NATIVE FISH POPULATIONS THROUGH STEWARDSHIP OF THE FISH AND THEIR HABITATS
NEW JERSEY native fishes
New Jersey is said to be home to roughly 90 species of freshwater fish. Of these, approximately 60 are native to the state. Seven of these are migratory and are present only seasonally in freshwater in the state. Five of these — alewife, blueback herring, American shad, hickory shad, and Atlantic striped bass — are anadromous, living primarily in saltwater, but migrating into freshwater to spawn. Sea lamprey spend several years in freshwater as juveniles before migrating into saltwater, returning to freshwater to spawn. American eel are catadromous, living in freshwater but entering saltwater to spawn. New Jersey is home to one native salmonid: brook trout, the official State Fish. Other native species include Atlantic and shortnose sturgeon; gizzard shad; rainbow smelt; chain and redfin pickerel; comely, common, bridle, golden, ironcolor, satinfin, spotfin, spottail, and swallowtail shiner; blacknose and longnose dace; creek chub; fallfish; brown and yellow bullhead; white catfish; striped bass; bluefish; white and yellow perch; six species of sunfish, and three species of darter.
status, threats, and conservation
New Jersey is the most densely populated state in the country. It has the eleventh highest population in the United States. This means that while not without undeveloped and protected land, much of New Jersey has been developed, and its waters polluted. Amazingly, while the state has lost a significant number of wild native brook trout populations, New Jersey has some of the most progressive and protective regulations associated with wild brook trout within the native range. This includes a large swath of land, known as the Brook Trout Conservation Zone, where stocking is prohibited and fish are protected under strict artificial lures only and catch-and-release. Longnose gar are considered extirpated in New Jersey. Shortnose sturgeon are listed as endangered at the federal level. Threats to New Jersey’s wild native fish include habitat degradation, development, pollution, angler exploitation, stocking, and warming water.
new jersey nfc board
Below is our New Jersey State Board. This dedicated group of volunteers are our "boots on the ground" in New Jersey, home to untold miles of river and stream, numerous lakes and ponds, and a number of wild native fish species.
new jersey nfc ADvisory CounCil
Below is our New Jersey Advisory Council. This group of volunteers represents a veritable all-star team of subject matter expertise and hands-on experience. They work with the New Jersey board to identify areas in need of attention, while providing technical assistance.
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JOHN KOSAR lives on the Pennsylvania/New Jersey border where he calls…