New Zealand Salmon Anglers Association Otago Branch
chairman Wayne Olsen shows off a net of salmon smolt
destined for Otago Harbour. Photo by Jane Dawber.
This fishy tale tells of thousands of salmon smolt that
got away - and some that will return.
At 5.45pm on Tuesday a tanker truck stopped at the Leith
Wharf and emptied more than 15,000 salmon smolt into Otago
Harbour.
Of those 15,000 1-year-old smolt, only an estimated 1300 were
likely to return to the area to spawn or be caught by eager
anglers, New Zealand Salmon Anglers Association Otago Branch
chairman Wayne Olsen said.
The latest release was expected to return to Otago Harbour in
early 2011.
The surviving salmon would be about 5-7kg and be "delicious".
Salmon smolt had been released into the harbour since 1986 by
the association, and tonight a further 15,000 would be
released, he said.
Early release of smolt had led to poor returns, but the June
release would lead to higher returns, as fewer predators were
around, he explained.
The smolt were bought from Silverstream Hatchery in Kaiapoi
for $45,000, and since the association's inception it had
released more than 900,000 smolt at a cost of $650,000.
"It is a real asset to the city," Mr Olsen said.
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