March 6 may have been a Thursday on the calendar, but at Powell River Salmon Society’s Lang Creek facility, it was Fry Day.
During the sunny morning, qathet School District students were bused to the salmon centre to release chum salmon into the creek, so the fish could begin the open water lifecycle.
Salmon Society manager Shane Dobler said eight classes from local schools travelled to Lang Creek. He said the original plan was for six; it was expanded to eight, and unfortunately, the salmon society had to cap it.
Students were able to see the salmon fry close up in a holding vessel, where salmon society employees netted the fish and put them in cups so the students could release the fish creek-side.
Dobler said the salmon release was a couple of weeks ahead of schedule because of the warmer winter.
“We had that one cold snap early in the new year, but water temperatures were warmer, so we have fish hatching out sooner, and therefore being released a little sooner,” said Dobler. “We still have lots of fish at the hatchery. This was just a small group of fish brought out for the classes to see.”
Dobler said by the end of March, the rest of the chum will be released. He said there are more than 700,000 of them. In April, some chinook will be released into the headwaters, as well as from the hatchery itself at Duck Lake, extending into early May.
There is also coho production at the former Catalyst Paper Tis’kwat mill, which will also be released later in April and in the beginning of May.
“It’s a high point of the rearing season,” said Dobler.
In addition to the Fry Day that has already been held, there will be another Fry Day at the end of March at Willingdon Beach, done in conjunction with City of Powell River’s CUPE workers. Dobler said a decision was made to have an event at Lang Creek because it’s important to have the ability to communicate with students and get people out into the salmon society’s constantly improving environment.
“People are used to coming in the fall, and they come to see the fish spawning, because it is tangible,” said Dobler. “Many students come to our salmon expo in the fall. With the offspring from the spawning salmon, unless you look very closely, most people don’t see it. So, we are trying to highlight what is happening in nature right now and we’re making it more obvious by bringing fish to the scene and letting people release them.
“It’s very memorable. My own children can remember it from 30 years ago, just like it was yesterday. We know it is important when you can have that kind of an impact.”
Dobler said it is great for the salmon society to allow people to see the entire life cycle of salmon, from being released as fry to returning to spawn. Having the children attending both is part of the important educational component of the society’s activities.
“We are into education, and this is a large piece of that,” said Dobler. “I guess you’d call it the finishing touches. For education, we also have an online platform, and we have also had in-classroom incubators in the past, so it is all part of the program.”
Dobler said the salmon society’s volunteers are excited about events such as the expo and for Fry Day.
“They are always chomping at the bit to help,” said Dobler. “Today you’d see some of the volunteers that were here in the fall. We also have some new faces showing up annually and that is important for our growth.”
In terms of this year’s salmon stock, Dobler said the chinook collection was a little weak last year, but the society received some chinook eggs from the Qualicum hatchery. He said the other species are doing well and it has been a successful season with a 92 to 93 per cent survival rate at the hatchery.
“In the incubation phase you usually lose five per cent and in the rearing phase, another two to three per cent,” said Dobler. “It’s been a good survival rate and it has been an excellent team effort to care for the salmon. If you are sloppy, you won’t get that survival rate. We work to maintain a great survival rate year in and year out by being careful and efficient.
“I’m really happy with how things have gone. It is a real community effort. We get great, positive feedback and that is what really helps keep our volunteers going.”
As for the children who attended Fry Day, Dobler said by releasing the fry, the salmon have been imprinted with Lang Creek, and the children attending have been imprinted as a new generation of salmon champions.
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