Seth Green

Seth Green (March 19, 1817 – August 18, 1888) was an American pioneer in fish farming (pisciculture and aquaculture). He established the first fish hatchery in the United States in the Town of Caledonia, New York. He was also a successful commercial fisherman, operating a large and profitable fish and game market in Rochester, New York, and fishing in Lake Ontario. After many years of operating his commercial hatchery in Caledonia, he entered government service with the New York State Fish Commission and eventually became Superintendent of Fisheries for the state of New York. Seth Green's pioneering efforts to raise fish stocks and restore fish populations for sporting purposes established a standard of aquaculture recognized internationally. He also planted American Shad in California rivers near Sacramento. He is commonly referred to as the "Father of fish culture in North America." Early life Seth Green was born in 1817 in Rochester, New York, the son of farmer Adonijah Green and his wife Betsy Bronson. He had one brother and two sisters. He grew up as an outdoor enthusiast in the small village of Carthage along the Genesee River near Rochester, learning fishing skills from his father and the local Seneca people. His formal schooling was limited to finishing fifth or sixth grade at a local Carthage district school. When the financial Panic of 1837 severely affected the economy of Carthage, Green left home and decided to take up commercial fishing along the Genesee River. In 1848 he married Helen Cooke, a local Rochester girl. They established a fish and game market in downtown Rochester, which he operated with his brother and partner, Monroe Green. By 1857 the market employed more than 100 people. It was one of the largest and most prosperous fish markets in the region. To supply his market, Green traveled the shores of Lake Ontario over the years for fish. He and his fishermen survived many storms and hardships on Lake Ontario to supply the market with from daily. Early in his commercial fishing business, he observed Atlantic salmon spawning near Cobourg, Ontario, and conceived the idea of propagating his own stocks of fish, not only for market but to restock streams for sport fishing.