In August 1852, a state-of-the-art fish hatchery was established at Huningue in eastern France, near the Swiss border. The facility was designed to artificially propagate salmon and trout, using techniques pioneered by Jacobi. The Huningue hatchery became a model for fish culture across Europe, supplying eggs and fry to rivers and lakes for restocking. Its success demonstrated the viability of large-scale fish farming and contributed to the growth of the sport-fishing industry.

The Huningue hatchery was celebrated in French naturalist writing and poetry, with authors like George Sand and Victor Hugo referencing it in their works. The hatchery also inspired the development of the 'fish culture' theme in European literature, where it symbolized the harmonious relationship between science and nature. Its methods were later described in angling manuals and periodicals.