Youth Involvement in Fish Farming
British Columbia Student Program for Captive Breeding of Salmon
Learning about habitat and restocking practices enables the younger generation to carry on with the preservation of our dwindling fish population.
The Seymour Salmonid Society sponsors an educational project in conjunction with local middle school students. They are taken on field trips to local streams and rivers in order to make recommendations for re-stocking the salmon supply.
Major Factors Affecting Salmon Regeneration
To perform an analysis, the students are taught the major factors affecting fish regeneration such as:
- The size and location of the body of water is used in calculating the number of fish that could be added.
- Substrate is what lies at the bottom of the waterway and gives an idea where the fish will lay their eggs. Numerous hiding places, such as cracks in rock or large stones, will help prevent the fry from being eaten by predators.
- Insects in the area provide food for the fish. More insects and types of insects mean a better chance of survival.
- Plant life in the water provides hiding places for eggs and hatched fry.
- Basic water chemistry such as PH and DH plus minerals and pollution are essential in supporting life.
Releasing Salmon into Rivers and Streams
Once the data is collected, the students take the information back to class and determine the number of fish that should be released. Their calculations are based on the size of the body of the water along with the other factors mentioned above. For example, a stream with a rocky substrate can support more fish than a stream with a sandy bottom because there are more hiding places. The analyzed data is submitted to the Seymour Salmonid Society for review and approval. The students are also involved in the release of fish.
About the Seymour Salmonid Society
The purpose of the Seymour Salmonid Society is to create fish habitat and to sustain fish stock. It runs the Seymour River Fish Hatchery and Education Center located in the Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve in North Vancouver BC Canada. The society works in conjunction with the Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the Greater Vancouver Regional District, along with several businesses and conservation groups. Financial support comes through sponsors, members and volunteers.
Volunteers are needed for a variety of interesting tasks such as:
- Transferring eggs, trough cleaning, feeding fry in the hatchery
- Net mending and general maintenance of buildings
- Counting fish in the local river and hatchery pond
- Releasing fish into the river in the spring
- Hosting public events and fundraisers
The Seymour Salmonid Society has helped to keep the river alive and as natural as possible by monitoring the river and its wildlife for 17 years.... rearing and releasing almost 1,000,000 salmon and trout every year into the river.....by providing classes every year for some 1,500 school students. [Help Keep Your River Alive]
With the generous donations of corporate sponsors and educational programs provided by the Seymour Salmonid Society, the youth in the Vancouver will be inspired to exercise wise conservation practices and participate in the regeneration of local fish.
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